All Out
by ShadowDragon9000
Summary: A simple fifteen-year-old wants to go on a simple journey through Kalos with his two friends. However, his journey becomes not-so-simple. A strange organization named Deivis bursts onto the scene, and they, despite never making their motives clear, are clearly up to no good. Tristan and his team have no choice but to go all out and try their hardest to stop this new threat.
1. Chapter 1 - Initium

**Okay first of all, this thing is finally being written! I'm ready to write, and hopefully you all are ready to read. ^_^ It's been a while since I've put any decent amount of effort into writing something like this, so keep that in mind as you read****. So without further ado, I present to you the first chapter of "All In".**

**Chapter One – Initium**

All was dark. And then suddenly, there appeared a bright light. He cried out in confusion, but all that the similarly dressed people around him did was smile and gaze at him. And then suddenly, it all faded into oblivion.

He found himself running about without a care, chasing a small dog creature around in circles. He was seized by a man unexpectedly, but did not put up a fight. The man smiled warmly and brought him inside of a building that was all too familiar. There he was sat down and began to eat alongside the same man and a woman whom he loved dearly. All faded into nothingness yet again.

Confusion. Silence. A hole was created in his heart that day. He asked himself 'Why?', and he asked the woman next to him 'Why?', but she could not give him an answer. And neither could he. His face fell, and his stomach seemed to drop. Falling, falling, falling…

X-X-X-X

Tristan crashed onto the floor with a loud 'Thud'. The fifteen-year-old sat up groggily and rubbed his head in pain.

_What a strange dream… _the teen thought.

Suddenly Tristan heard hurried steps coming from downstairs. He looked across his room to see his mother enter from the stairs, a look of worry plastered on her face.

"Are you alright, dear? What happened?" she questioned.

"I'm fine, Mom," Tristan insisted, "I had a weird dream, that's all."

His mother placed two hands on her hips and sighed.

"If you insist. Sometimes I wonder what goes on inside your head, son," joked his mother. Smiling, she walked over to him and extended her arm. He grabbed it and stood up, thanking her for her help. Tristan then took a cursory glance around his room, noticing the time in the process.

"Oh crap!" the tired teen exclaimed.

"What's wrong now?" his mother quizzed. "Oh, that's right! I forgot to wake you up earlier! You've got to get ready and head to Aquacorde Town ASAP, alright?"

"Yeah, I know. I'll get right on that, Mom." Tristan shook his head in disbelief as his mother walked back down the stairs. _How could I forget what today was? I get my first Pokémon today and I forgot about it!_

Tristan hurriedly threw on some dark blue jeans and a navy blue t-shirt. His blue eyes quickly scanned his 5'5" tall body to make sure he looked fine and then proceeded to slip on his black running shoes. Tristan flew down the stairs, snatching his black eyeglasses along the way, and landed right in front of his door. He grabbed for the handle, shouted a quick "Goodbye" to his mother, and then ran out the door.

His mother smiled and hummed quietly to herself. _They grow up so quickly, don't they?_

X-X-X-X

Tristan exited his house in a rush; he began to walk briskly through the gate of his hometown Vaniville and onto the short dirt path that separated it and Aquacorde Town. As he moved along he started to boil with excitement. To think that he was going to start a Pokémon journey in just a few short minutes! He was ready to explode just thinking about it. Tristan's thoughts occupied him for the next few minutes as he walked the length of the path, and soon he found himself in Aquacorde Town.

The stone pathways and central fountain were quite familiar to him as he strolled through the city, greeting and waving to people as he went. He arrived at a slightly elevated portion of the town, a part where many tables and chairs were placed to allow visitors to sit and relax. He vaguely remembered being instructed to meet there in a letter sent from the professor, so up he went. What he saw, or rather who he saw, surprised him. Tristan grinned when he saw his best friend Dash sitting at one of the tables.

"I didn't expect to see you here!" exclaimed Tristan. Dash's head snapped up and focused on Tristan. The African American teen grinned and stood up.

"Of course I'm here! Did you really think that I'd start without you? I mean, I know I turned 15 a week ago and all, but I figured that it would be cool to start it with a friend," Dash explained. Tristan smiled and fist bumped his much taller friend before sitting down.

"So, how have you been?"

X-X-X-X

Monica was tired. She was pretty darn tired. _After all, _the fifteen-year-old thought, _I only had to wake up at 5 in the morning to get here. But enough of that, I need to figure out where I'm meeting the professor._

Monica wasted no time in travelling across the small town, putting her new running shoes to good use. Soon she began to pass by a fountain in the middle of the town. _Now if I remember correctly, the professor said that the meeting place shouldn't be too far from this fountain… _The tired teen absentmindedly pushed her glasses back to the top of her nose and sighed.

"Hopefully I'll find it soon…" she muttered.

X-X-X-X

Many minutes had gone by since Tristan had met up with Dash, and the two were starting to wonder where the heck the professor was.

"I wonder where Professor Sycamore is. Do you think he forgot somehow?" Tristan inquired. Dash shook his head in disagreement.

"I doubt it. He probably just ran into a bit of a hold up at his lab. And don't forget, Lumiose City is pretty far from here," Dash replied. Tristan shrugged.

"I guess." Tristan sighed with boredom and examined his surroundings in an attempt to spot the late professor. Out of the corner of his eye he glimpsed a moving object. Tristan turned around and saw a thin girl walk up the stairs. She was short, but not too short, perhaps an inch or two shorter than he was. Her blue eyes nervously flitted between him and Dash, and her hand came up to brush a stray strand of blond hair from her face.

"I-Is this where I'm supposed to meet the professor?" she probed shyly. Dash smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, this is the place. I didn't know we were going to have another new trainer, though. It's nice to meet you! My name's Dash, what's yours?"

Monica, overwhelmed by Dash's very forward and amicable greeting, nervously sat down at the table between him and Tristan and didn't respond. Dash shot a glance at Tristan before shrugging and staring off into space.

_The professor better get here soon. I'm getting bored _**(AN: Like this chapter. Sorry /3) **_and things are starting to become awkward. _Tristan thought.

As if on cue, Professor Sycamore himself jogged up the stairs with a briefcase in his hand. The professor, out of breath, uttered many long apologies to the three teens before setting the briefcase on the table.

"I'm terribly sorry for being so late! You see, my watch's time was off and by the time I realized it I was late. I hope I didn't keep you three waiting for too long. But enough of that!" the professor exclaimed, not giving the trio time to respond, "I've got the three starter Pokémon here! You'll have the choice between Froakie, Chespin, and Fennekin! Now go ahead and pick who you'd like!" The three teens were taken aback by the professor's quick speaking, but then stopped and realized something: Who did they want?

**My gosh. Train wreck much? XD I'm sorry that you had to read that. I didn't have much of a plan (note that I did have a plan) walking into this chapter, so sorry about that. Being the first chapter I knew that I would have to get the boring intro out of the way, and by the time I included the details that I needed to, it was pretty long. So, I had to cut it off with a scatterbrained professor asking the three trainers what Pokémon they wanted. So what did they pick? Feel free to guess, but you'll just have to wait until the next chapter.**

**So yeah, I know this was boring. Trust me, I'll have to do these sometimes to introduce characters/build on the plot, etc. After this though you'll get to see a battle or two as well as what Pokémon were picked. So feel free to review and tell me what I need to improve on. Thanks for reading thus far. ^_^**

**Questions that you can answer for the LOLs:**

**Who will choose what starter?**

**What does the title mean and what language is it?**


	2. Chapter 2 - Proelium

**Well, I'm glad to see that I got a response or two from people. :) Hopefully I won't disappoint the people who are reading and will read this. I'll try to write chapters at a good pace. (Hopefully I won't run into writers block. I don't think it will happen anytime soon though). But enough of that; let me address some of the reviews specifically.**

** Farla – I've got to thank you for at least being honest. I will take the time to address a few items that you mentioned, if you don't mind. About the waking up thing: I agree with you. In regards to the capitalization thing: I've seen many people debate with you on this (often times bitterly). Hopefully I will not be one of the people that do so. I know that you deem it grammatically correct to not capitalize a word unless it's being used as a name, but I've always seen things such as Pikachu capitalized. It seems more natural to me and, to be honest, looks better (and more correct). Remember, I don't want to argue with you about this. About the trainer thing: Trainers must wait until 10 years old to start, but they do not have to start at age 10. Also I can change the criteria for being a trainer since my story may not strictly follow game/anime guidelines. And finally, the character was bored waiting on Professor Sycamore. I did not say I was bored writing the story, though it may have seemed that way. (But you are right when you say that I shouldn't throw comments into the middle of the story). Thank you for reviewing with honesty. :)**

** FlameStriker123 – Thanks for the positive comments my friend! Also you don't have to worry about me giving up any time soon. And you were close to getting that question right, but you were off by one. Which one, you ask? Well, continue reading. ^_^**

** El Torro – Thank you for the (overall) compliment. :) And yes, I do agree that it's been used quite often. And as for your two guesses, you were pretty off on the first, and very correct on the second. Thanks for the review!**

**Also for everyone that wants to know, the title of chapter 1 was Latin for beginning. I thought it was somewhat fitting. (All of my chapters will have Latin titles by the way, so if you want to know what it means you can look it up). So, without further ado, I present to you Chapter 2 of "All Out". Enjoy!**

**Chapter 2 – Proelium**

The three teens merely sat there in hesitation and conflict. What Pokémon would they choose? How could they choose without making the others mad? How could they even _begin_? It was Dash who spoke up finally.

"I don't know about you two, but I've always said let the lady go first. So if you want to, Monica, you can go," Dash opined. The purple clad female perked up upon hearing his words.

"Y-You mean that you don't mind if I pick first? Are you sure?" she inquired. Tristan shook his head and smiled.

"Go ahead! Honestly, Dash and I don't mind. Choose who you want to." Monica smiled.

"Thank you." Carefully, Monica lifted her hand above the case with the Poké Balls and sighed. _Who to choose? _she pondered. After a few moments of deliberation she picked up the Poké Ball on the far right.

"I've always wanted a Fennekin of my own," said Monica with a smile. Professor Sycamore nodded firmly.

"A great choice! Now what about you gentlemen?" Tristan and Dash looked at each other and then back at the case.

"You can choose first," Dash offered.

"Are you sure?" Tristan responded. Dash nodded.

"Absolutely. Go ahead!" Tristan shrugged and reached for the case. He didn't even bother to think about his choice. He had wanted this Pokémon ever since he had seen it and its evolutions.

"I'll pick Froakie!" he stated with finality. Dash gasped.

"Dude! No way! I actually wanted Chespin!" Dash chuckled and then high-fived his best friend.

Professor Sycamore then grabbed the case and shut it quickly. He looked like he was about to say something, but then stopped once he dug inside the bag next to him.

"So now that you have all chosen your Pokémon, I need to give you these…" The professor brought out three red devices in the shape of rectangles. They had blinking lights and a screen on them, as well as a few buttons on the side. He handed the three devices to each trainer.

"As I'm sure you all know, that device that I just gave you is the Pokédex! It records the data of any and all Pokémon that you see or catch. It can also tell you useful stuff such as what level your Pokémon are or what moves they know. So that's about all I have to give you. Do you have any questions that I can answer?" Professor Sycamore inquired.

"No, sir, I'm fine. Thank you," Monica responded. Both Tristan and Dash shook their heads and mirrored Monica's answered.

"Alright then, it was good to meet you all! I wish you three the best of luck on your adventures, and don't forget to have fun!" the professor exclaimed. The tall, dark haired man grinned and waved as he walked away. The three teens waved back and watched him as he walked off into the distance.

"Man…" Tristan breathed, "We're Pokémon trainers now. I'm so excited!" Suddenly Monica's facial expression went from one of shyness to one of excitement.

"You wouldn't mind battling me, would you?" Monica requested.

"I would love to battle, actually. You're on!" Tristan shot back. The two novice trainers stood up and walked down onto the lower level of the city with anticipation flowing through their veins. Monica and Tristan held up their Poké Balls at the same time.

"Fennekin/Froakie, it's time!" they cried in unison. On Monica's side of the field appeared a small yellow fox-like creature with large tufts of red fur sticking out of its ears. The small fox immediately growled at Froakie before hopping back near its trainer.

On Tristan's side of the battlefield appeared a light blue frog. It had proportionally large yellow eyes and a white collar around its neck that was akin to bubbles. The small frog smiled and hopped to and fro; it was ready for battle.

"Ladies first," Tristan remarked, half joking, half serious. Monica giggled.

"Polite as always. Alright, Fennekin, start off with Growl!" The small fox opened its mouth and let out a cute growl that somehow managed to lower Froakie's attack.

"Retaliate with Leer, Froakie, and then hit Fennekin with Pound!" The light blue frog glared at Fennekin, lowering its defense, and then ran in with a glowing white fist. For a second Tristan swore he saw Froakie shine grey, but the shine disappeared as the frog clobbered Fennekin and forced the small fox backwards. Monica bit her lip. _Dang, that did a decent amount of damage! I wonder why? I did lower Froakie's attack… Perhaps the defense drop cancelled it out? But no, that makes no sense… I must be overthinking things. Focus, Monica!_

"Fennekin are you alright?" Monica asked with worry in her voice. Fennekin managed to stand up, but Monica did notice that she was a little slow in doing so. Nonetheless, she smiled.

"Good job, Fennekin! Hit Froakie right back with Scratch!" The fox Pokémon obeyed and dashed for the frog, only to have it dodge. Time and time again it rushed Froakie, but the nimble Pokémon just kept dodging. Froakie continued to evade until finally it tripped over itself and fell to the ground.

"Froakie!" Tristan cried.

"Now's your chance, Fennekin!" Monica shouted. The fox began to speed up, and finally raked its claws into Froakie's side. The bubble-wearing amphibian was sent rolling along the ground and finally landed in front of Tristan.

"Are you alright, Froakie?" he quizzed. Froakie shook its head violently and hopped up with a cry, as if to say: "I'm fine!" Tristan smiled.

"Great, now let's try and wrap this up with a final Pound!"

"Fennekin, let's give Scratch a shot!" Monica retaliated. Again Tristan thought that he saw Froakie shine grey for a split second before enveloping its fist in a white light. But the shine disappeared as soon as it came.

_I must be seeing things. _he thought. He was snapped back to the battle as he watched his starter speed right at Fennekin to hit it straight on the head. The two Pokémon were locked in place as one tried to overpower the other. Every time Fennekin would push Froakie, Froakie would push back. Neither Pokémon wanted to let their trainer down; neither wanted to lose the battle.

After a few more seconds of stalemate, Froakie broke through and smashed Fennekin to the ground with a glowing fist. Fennekin was revealed to have swirls for eyes, which meant that the battle was over. Monica sighed and returned her fainted fox, while Tristan cheered and thanked Froakie for his hard work. The two approached each other and smiled.

"Thanks for battling with me, Tristan, I enjoyed it," Monica opined.

"It was a good battle, Monica, and I enjoyed it too," he agreed. The two trainers shook hands and then put away their Poké Balls.

"Man, I wish I could've battled one of you! Oh well, I'll get to battling eventually," Dash sighed. Tristan locked eyes with him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah! And when you do get there, you'll do well. I'm looking forward to battling you sometime, Dash." Dash smiled.

"Thanks, Tristan, me too," Dash replied.

The two best friends grinned and laughed and, taking Monica with them, had their Pokémon healed at the Pokémon Center. The trio ended up staying the night in the Pokémon Center, all of them excited for what was in store in the morning.

X-X-X-X

Tristan quietly sat at a table in the corner of the Pokémon Center. The new trainer took a sip of water while gazing absently at the TV. There was some news story being covered, but he wasn't really paying attention to it. He was more excited about continuing his journey.

The tired teenager finished his water with a gulp and tossed the plastic cup into the trashcan. He remembered Dash and Monica telling him that he could leave if he woke up before them, and that they didn't mind, but it still felt wrong in a way. Tristan shook his head.

_They agreed to it, I guess. I might as well get a head start on my journey while I can. Those two will prove themselves to be tough adversaries in battle, I'm sure of it._

Luke yawned and dashed out of the Pokémon Center with Froakie's Poké Ball in hand. The teen found a new sense of excitement welling up inside of him. As he exited the quiet area of Aquacorde, he smiled to himself. _Alright, let's do this!_

X-X-X-X

**And that is Chapter 2, my friends. Feel free to leave any feedback that you have on the chapter, I would appreciate it. :) Also, things will start to pick up a bit more in the next chapter (I won't say what happens, but it's something good). Feel free to make predictions on what happens next.**

**Anyways, I hope this was worth the wait. (Speaking of the wait, I took waaayyy too long to write this thing). But thanks for sticking with me and leaving your honest feedback. Later!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Impetus

**Okay, so now I've posted 2 chapters, and this is going to be the third. But before we get into that, I'd just like to thank those who have reviewed the story so far, I appreciate it! :) Now time to address reviews!**

** FlameStriker123 – Thanks for the review! And I'm very glad that you mentioned the thing about Froakie, but you'll have to wait to see what's going on. :P Also, about the Poké Ball thing… Well, you'll see.**

**Anyways, here's Chapter 3. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 3 – Impetus**

Tristan walked onto Route 2 and, seeing all of the groups of trees and all of the tall grass around, grinned stupidly. _I'm so ready for this. And maybe, just maybe, I can catch a new Pokémon for the team. That would be great!_

Tristan tossed a Poké Ball into the air and watched as Froakie appeared with a flash. The small frog laughed and hopped around on the grass, taking in the large open space before him. Tristan chuckled at Froakie's excitement.

"I'm excited too, Froakie. So what do you say we do some training on this route and maybe catch another teammate?" Tristan opined. Froakie cried happily and hopped away into the tall grass.

"I'll take that as a yes… Oh, Froakie wait up!"

X-X-X-X

Tristan plopped down onto a tree stump in exhaustion. Training your Pokémon for a few hours while having to run back and forth between Aquacorde Town and Route 2 was not fun, to say the least. The young teen wiped his forehead and began to drink some water as he watched his friendly water starter take small bites out of an oran berry.

"You've gotten stronger, Froakie. It's awesome to see you so ready to work, to be honest," the teen praised. Froakie rubbed the back of his head and smiled, slightly embarrassed from its trainer's kind words. Tristan lifted the water bottle to his mouth and Froakie reached down for another oran berry when the blue frog whipped its head to the side. The bubble-wearing frog swore that it caught a glimpse of something running through the tall grass, but decided it was nothing. Tristan, not noticing anything, stood up.

"Alright, Froakie, what do you say we attempt at catching another friend?" he inquired. Froakie hopped up and cheered in excitement. Tristan chuckled and reached into his pocket for something.

"Okay then, let's go catch our first teammate…" Tristan trailed off, leaving Froakie confused.

"CRAP!"

X-X-X-X

"That will be 200 Pokédollars! Would you like to buy anything else?" asked a brown haired man that was sitting behind the counter. Tristan shook his head and sighed.

"No, that will be all. Thank you, sir," the annoyed trainer replied. The clerk smiled and nodded his head.

"Thank you for shopping at the Poké Mart! Have a nice day!" he beamed. Tristan pocketed his newly purchased items and then walked out of the blue-roofed building. The trainer opted to release his frog starter once he was outside. The amphibian looked up at him with large yellow eyes and gave Tristan a questioning look.

"Yeah, I did just buy Poké Balls, if you were wondering. I still can't believe that the professor forgot to give us Poké Balls of all things! But it's fine, I guess, since we have them now," answered he. The bubble-wearing creature cheered; now it could find a new friend for the team!

Tristan mimicked the Pokémon's excitement equally._ I can't wait to catch another Pokémon. It makes me wonder what Pokémon I'll catch…_

Tristan began to absentmindedly walk through Aquacorde Town towards Route 2, not even paying attention to his surroundings. But Froakie, being a very observant creature, was focusing on its surroundings. It could have sworn that it saw movement in the corner of its eye. Tristan noticed this and turned around.

"Are you alright Froakie? What's wrong?" inquired the concerned trainer. The frog remained in a crouched position and listened intently for a sound. Suddenly it spotted movement to the right and snapped its head in that direction. The Pokémon rubbed its head in embarrassment when it realized it was merely a trash bag being blown away by the wind. Tristan chuckled.

"You're overreacting, Froakie. Come on, let's get going to the next town, alright?" Froakie nodded and began to walk calmly next to its trainer, shaking its head at its own nerves. Suddenly it hit Froakie, and it hit hard. The blue creature was sent tumbling across the road as it cried in pain. Tristan reacted almost instantly and ran to his partner.

"What? Froakie what happened?" the trainer asked. Froakie hopped up and glared at an object a few meters away. Tristan turned his head and his gaze met something else's gaze. A small grey bunny stood before him with large ears that had brown tips. It glared at him and began to hop side to side with small brown feet, occasionally using its large ears to throw punches into the air.

"Oh, it's a Bunnelby! This guy must be looking for a fight, Froakie, are you ready?" Froakie cried out and hopped a few feet away from the small rabbit before him.

"Let's start with Bubble, Froakie!" Tristan commanded. Multiple bubbles were projected from the starter's mouth, but they were easily dodged.

"Chase it with Quick Attack!" Froakie pursued the rabbit with great speed, quickly enough to see white streaks come off of the Pokémon. Recognizing this Bunnelby responded with its own Quick Attack.

The two rammed into each other time after time, neither refusing to back down. Finally Froakie pushed through and sent Bunnelby flying backwards. Luckily Froakie's eared adversary caught itself before it fell.

"Don't let up! Use Quick Attack again!" Froakie nodded and sped at Bunnelby. Tristan swore once again that he saw Froakie shine gray, but he dismissed it. Tristan focused back on the battle at hand when Froakie and Bunnelby once again collided with another Quick Attack.

"Jump, Froakie, and use Bubble!" Tristan shouted. Nimbly the frog leapt up, and shining blue, rained bubbles upon the defenseless bunny. Bunnelby cried out as it was pelted with the water attack and then fell down.

"One last Bubble should do it, Froakie!" The frog obeyed without hesitation and unleashed a final wave of bubbles at the downed rabbit. It was a direct hit, or so Tristan thought. The ever so resilient Pokémon refused to stay down, and it rose with two glowing ears.

"Be on your guard, Froakie, Bunnelby knows Double Slap!" Tristan warned. But his warning was too little, too late as he watched Froakie get slapped violently to the ground by Bunnelby. The rabbit's ears stopped glowing as it walked up to Froakie, who was stuck in the ground.

"Get out of there!" shouted Tristan worriedly. It took all he had not to return Froakie then and there. He had to trust his Pokémon to do well.

Bunnelby finally came to a stop in front of the stuck frog and Tristan saw it raise its ears yet again. The trainer raised his Poké Ball and sighed.

"Froakie, retu-." Tristan cut himself off for the second time as he watched a flurry of bubbles crash into the unsuspecting rabbit's face. Bunnelby toppled over and fell onto the ground with swirls for eyes, and Froakie hopped out of the hole with a cheer. Tristan's jaw dropped.

"Dang! Froakie, you scared me! Great job though, you did great," Tristan praised. Froakie smiled. Tristan, however, scratched his head.

"I guess we have to take Bunnelby to the Pokémon Center now. Alright, come on, Froakie."

X-X-X-X

Tristan looked up the see a somewhat tall lady with a warm smile and pink hair walk out of a door. She was pushing a cart with the recently fought Bunnelby sitting on it. This woman, known to all as Nurse Joy, smoothed her white apron and beamed at Tristan.

"This Bunnelby is all healed up and ready to go!" she informed him.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy!" Nurse Joy smiled at him and, grabbing the cart, walked to the back of the Pokémon Center. Tristan then shifted his focus to the rabbit before him.

"You're pretty strong, Bunnelby. You certainly gave Froakie and I a run for our money, so I'll give you that. With that being said, I've decided this: If you want to go with Froakie and I to battle and meet all kinds of people, you can. If not, then you can go back to wherever you go. You won't hurt my feelings, I promise. What do you say?" the trainer inquired.

Bunnelby absentmindedly scratched its head with its ears and began to mull over the idea of going with Tristan. Finally, it used one of its ears to reach into Tristan's pocket and grabbed a Poké Ball. Without a second thought the Pokémon hit the white button on the Poké Ball and was sucked inside. The spherical device wiggled once, twice, three times before coming to a rest.

"No way," Tristan murmured, "I just caught my first Pokémon!"

X-X-X-X

**Yayyy! Tristan caught something! So yes, Bunnelby is now an official member of Team Tristan. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, by the way. Hopefully it was worth the wait.**

**Speaking of the wait, I'm going to try and write two more chapters and post them this week. (Remember that I'm going to post 1-2 chapters per week, but I'm going with 3 this week because I took so long to write this one). So yeah, look forward to that and review as you see fit.**

**One more thing: Sorry if I don't address all of the reviews in the beginning of the chapter. I'll try to, but I may miss some.**

**Question time!**

**Why the heck does Froakie keep having this "shine"? (I'll be asking this for a while. So basically you won't be getting an answer or any hints until the chapter I decide to reveal it).**

**Tristan's Pokémon:**

**Froakie – Level 8 – Pound, Leer, Quick Attack, Bubble**

**Bunnelby – Level 10 – Tackle, Agility, Quick Attack, Double Slap**


	4. Chapter 4 - Malus

**I'm glad to see that those who are reviewing are enjoying the story so far! Just remember to review with your honest opinion on the chapter.**

** ElTorro – I'm glad you agree! I love Bunnelby. :) Also, referring to your review on chapter 2, I'm glad that you like Monica and Dash. That was my intent, after all. Thanks for the review!**

** FlameStriker123 – Thank you for the review! I'm glad you like the new addition to the team. As for the amount of Pokémon Tristan will catch, I can and will tell you now that we will catch exactly 7 Pokémon (Froakie included).**

**Alright, so last chapter Tristan caught a Bunnelby and added the rabbit creature to his team. With this new addition, Tristan begins to look towards his upcoming gym battle in Santalune City. Meanwhile, Monica and Dash run into a bit of trouble. So let's begin with Chapter 4 of "All Out". Enjoy!**

**Chapter 4 – Malus**

Tristan sat lazily at a table in the corner of the Pokémon Center and, without thinking about it, began to roll Bunnelby's Poké Ball around on the table. The teen yawned as he watched the late night news program on TV. Nearby he could hear Froakie and Bunnelby speaking to each other and laughing cheerfully. Tristan smiled; not even a late hike through Santalune Forest could put a damper on their spirits.

It was this thought that finally made him focus on something other than the TV. _I'm in Santalune City, _the teen thought, _Which means that I can go ahead and challenge the gym here. I would go tomorrow, but I want to train Froakie and Bunnelby a bit more… _The teenager ran a hand through his brown hair and muttered something unintelligible.

"Froakie, Bunnelby, why don't you two take a rest? We're going to have our first gym battle tomorrow, so it would be great if you two were in tip-top shape, alright?" Tristan instructed. The frog and rabbit nodded and obediently entered their Poké Balls. Tristan then stood up silently and exited the Pokémon Center. _I'm going for a walk, _he decided.

X-X-X-X

The two sat in utter silence. One of them, a man who was clothed in all black, groaned in frustration.

"I can't believe we let that kid get by! We were told specifically to cut him off, right?" the man inquired. The woman next to him, who was also clothed in all black, nodded.

"We were, but we completely missed him," she responded. "But luckily we have a Plan B just in case something like this happened. Just give it a few more minutes…" The man sighed and crossed his arms impatiently, grumbling about the wait.

Minutes passed, and it seemed like nothing was going to happen at all. But out of the blue the darkly dressed duo heard voices from several yards away. It sounded like a boy and girl. The woman in black smiled.

"There we go," she whispered.

X-X-X-X

Monica and Dash both yawned simultaneously as they walked through Santalune Forest.

"Who's idea was it to walk through the forest at night, again?" Monica grumbled. Dash chuckled.

"I thought it was a good idea at the time, okay? But it doesn't matter, we're almost at the end of the forest," Dash responded. Suddenly Monica paused.

"Did you hear that?" she asked. Dash tilted his head in confusion.

"Hear what?" the tired teen asked. Suddenly, they saw a man in all black walk out of the trees. Monica placed a hand on her chest and sighed.

"Geez! That startled me. It's just someone else walking through the forest though," she muttered to herself. As she said this, the man turned to them and, with a face of surprise, greeted them.

"Oh! I didn't see you two there!" he exclaimed, "Would you mind helping me? I've gotten lost in the forest." Dash, always being eager to help, nodded.

"Of course! We're close to being out of the forest, actually. You can come with us, if you want," he offered. Monica made a face.

"Dash are you sure?" the shy girl whispered, "We don't know this guy, and I'd rather not walk with him." Dash scoffed.

"We're fine, Monica, I promise. We've got our Pokémon if anything goes wrong, you know?" Dash reassured her. Monica sighed.

"I guess." And then, silently, the two new trainers began to walk forward down the path before them. Dash motioned for the man to follow, and then began to chat with Monica again. Behind them the man smiled. _Too easy._

The man in black began to advance, unbeknownst to the two trainers before him. He quickly checked his pockets for something and, seeing that he had what he was looking for, continued on with his plan. He silently raised his hand and delivered a sharp blow to the back of Monica's head. The girl cried out in pain and crashed to the ground unconscious.

Dash leapt back and turned around with wide eyes, only to be met with an uppercut to the jaw. The man in black ran at him again with arms raised. Dash blocked his first punch and then dealt a blow to the man's ribs, but was kicked roughly to the ground. Dash moaned and tried to get up.

"Nighty night, kid!" the man chimed. A kick to the face was all it took, and Dash was out.

The man wiped his hands on his jeans and stretched his arms. His accomplice approached him from behind.

"Nice job, but be louder next time, would ya?" she stated sarcastically, "But no matter. Take my Poké Ball, I'll be right back." The man rolled his eyes and took the Poké Ball that she offered. He watched her walk away towards the exit of the forest and sighed. _All is going well so far. Now where did I leave that rope?_

X-X-X-X

Tristan yawned. _Man I'm tired, _he thought to himself. Luckily for him, he was a few feet away from the Pokémon Center. Suddenly he heard someone shout something.

Tristan turned around to see a woman in all black run towards him. She seemed to be out of breath, making the teen wonder what was going on. After a few more seconds of breathing the woman spoke up.

"You… You've got to help me, please! M-My Pokémon! It ran off to play in the forest and I lost it! Please, you _must _help me!" she pleaded. Tristan took a moment to register the information and then responded immediately.

"Of course I'll help! Man, that must be so horrible to have your Pokémon run off like that… Show me the way!" The woman smiled at him genuinely.

"Thank you so much! Come on, this way!"

X-X-X-X

***Monica's POV*******

I woke up with a horrible pain in my neck. I went to go rub the back of my neck instinctively but found that I couldn't. My eyes widened. _That's right, _I thought, _that man following us probably did this._

I looked around and, proving my suspicion, saw Dash tied up next to me conversing with the man who followed us. The cruel man laughed.

"Ah, just deal with it, kid. I'll have you know that I'll be letting you go soon enough. But, not before I take a crack at that friend of yours," he taunted. I felt fear and concern rise up inside of me.

_He's after Tristan? What would he possibly want with him? _I thought in confusion. I decided to voice my concerns.

"What do you want with him?" I inquired. My captor merely laughed.

"Wouldn't you like to know? And why do you care so much? What, are you his girlfriend or somethin'? Well guess what, missy, you'll just have to wait!" he replied with a smug look. I sighed; clearly I was not going to get the answer I wanted. It was then that I heard voices in the distance, and I saw the man smile.

"Ah, there they are now!" he exclaimed. I paled. _Oh no._

X-X-X-X

***Regular 3****rd**** Person POV***

Tristan followed the woman into the forest and came to an area that seemed to be a bit clearer. He noticed that the woman stopped.

"Is this where you last saw your – What?" Tristan's jaw would've dropped lower if it could have.

"What did you do?" he asked angrily. Now it was Dash's turn to be surprised. _Oh dang. He never gets mad, and I mean never! Someone's Ryhorn once crashed into his house and he just laughed about it, but this is different… _The woman that Tristan followed smiled and stood next to the man in black.

"You see, we brought you out here to have a battle! You do know what a battle is, don't you?" the woman replied in a snide manner. The man next to her rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, Abby. We're here to battle, not hear you run your mouth." Abby frowned and then grabbed her Poké Ball from his hand.

"Can it, Josh, I didn't ask for your opinion!" she countered. Then, without giving Josh time to reply, Abby sent out a purple scorpion Pokémon.

"Skorupi," Abby said calmly, "guard the two tied up, and guard them carefully." Tristan was about to speak when Josh spoke up.

"Did you honestly think that we would leave your friends unguarded? Keep this in mind, kid: You try to run or save your friends before the battle is over and they get a nice dose of Skorupi poison. I've heard that it kills people in about 3 seconds." Tristan clenched his fists. There was nothing else he could do but battle his way out of this.

"Alright, let's do this!" he cried.

X-X-X-X

**Well dang. Tristan just wanted to chill. It's all he wanted! But no, a mysterious duo had to tie up his friends and challenge him to a battle! Will Tristan be able to overcome this challenge and save Monica and Dash? That's up to you to figure out.**

**And what are these two up to anyways? Do you think they have a reason, and if so what is it? Feel free to answer this in the review that you may or may not write.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this, by the way. There will be another chapter to come by the end of the week!**


	5. Chapter 5 - Vinco

**Time to address reviews:**

**FlameStriker123 – Thanks for the compliment! I'm glad you approve of the chapter as well as the temporary POV change. I felt like mixing it up for once. :P Also, just in case you didn't bother to look it up, malus means bad or evil. Close enough. But seriously, thanks for the review! (And you may be right about these two. You'll have to see!)**

** El Torro – "Yaaaay, beating up kids is fun!" (Said nobody ever [I hope]). But yes, some early craziness has been thrown your way. :) Thanks for the review!**

**So, last chapter Tristan, Monica, and Dash were met with something unexpected. Now Tristan must attempt to battle a strange man named Josh in hopes of freeing his friends. Will we succeed, or will he fall short? Well, you'll find out now! Enjoy Chapter 5!**

**Chapter 5 – Vinco**

Tristan let out a nervous sigh and reached for a Poké Ball, but stopped himself.

"How about a double battle?" he requested. The man before him shrugged and smiled.

"I'm all for it. I'll get to kick your butt twice! Go, Murkrow and Timburr!" Josh shouted. In a bright flash appeared two Pokémon. One was a crow with black feathers and dull red eyes, and the other was a humanoid Pokémon with large pink veins around its body. It hoisted a large piece of wood and swung it around with ease. Tristan immediately grabbed for his Pokémon.

"Go, Froakie and Bunnelby!" he shouted. The blue amphibian and grey rabbit Pokémon landed in front of their trainer with a flash and, immediately noticing Monica and Dash tied up, became serious. Josh raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Oh, is that Froakie of yours…? Well dang, I guess it is! You're quite lucky to have a Froakie like that, it's not everyday that a trainer gets a shiny Pokémon. But enough of that, let's get on with the battle, kid!" Josh exclaimed. Tristan's eyed widened slightly.

_Wait, Froakie's a shiny Pokémon? No way, I've got to be so lucky! No wonder Froakie shines all the time… _Tristan chuckled in spite of himself. Only he could be excited like this in the midst of a bad situation. The teen shook his head and focused on the battle.

"Alright, both of you charge Timburr with Quick Attack!" Tristan called. Both Bunnelby and Froakie charged at the humanoid Pokémon quickly, but all it did was stand there. Suddenly, right when the two reached Timburr, it blocked them with its wooden plank.

"Now, Murkrow, Pursuit!" Josh ordered. Murkrow surrounded itself in a black aura and charged at Bunnelby and Froakie. The two unprepared Pokémon were unable to dodge and were sent rolling across the ground.

"Follow up with Pound, Timburr!" Timburr leapt into the air brandishing a glowing block of wood and brought it down onto Tristan's Pokémon. And then, suddenly:

"Catch it with your ears, Bunnelby!" Tristan countered. Bunnelby did as it was told and caught the plank, allowing Froakie to jump at Timburr and swat it to the ground with Pound. Josh's Timburr grunted in pain but shook it off and jumped back up. It was then Tristan realized that he had lost track of Murkrow.

"Froakie, Bunnelby, watch out for Murkrow! It could be anywhere," the teen warned. Just as he said this, Timburr leapt at Froakie with its wooden weapon.

"Catch it again, Bunnelby!" The rabbit Pokémon caught the plank of wood flawlessly, once again leaving Timburr helpless. Froakie jumped up to smack Timburr on the head again when it was met with a sharp blow via Murkrow's Peck attack. The black crow Pokémon snickered and went on to slap Bunnelby away with its wing.

"Retreat for now, Murkrow and Timburr!" Josh called out. The two obeyed their trainer immediately and awaited their next order. This gave Froakie and Bunnelby time to get up, and it was then that Tristan noticed how tired his Pokémon were becoming. The trainer frowned slightly. He was never one for taking risks, but he decided that he had to if he were to end the battle soon.

"Froakie, into the trees!" Tristan shouted. Josh smiled.

"After it, Murkrow!" Both Pokémon ascended and hid themselves amongst the leaves. Nobody made a move until Tristan went on the offensive.

"Bunnelby go in with Quick Attack and then use Double Slap!" Tristan said with newfound confidence. The small rodent sped towards its humanoid opponent, who raised a wooden block in defense. Bunnelby's ear slapped uselessly against Timburr's wooden shield of sorts, but an ear finally managed to connect with Timburr's face. The fighting type stumbled backwards, allowing for Bunnelby to ram it with another Quick Attack.

"Now, Froakie, finish Timburr with Bubble!" Tristan cried. Froakie unexpectedly hurled itself down from the shadowy leaves above and rained bubbles upon the shocked fighting type Pokémon. Timburr finally gave into fatigue after the attack finished and fell over with swirls for eyes. Josh muttered a swear under his breath and returned Timburr.

"Murkrow, attack when you feel the need to with Peck," Josh instructed his Pokémon calmly.

"Make sure to be on your guard, you two," Tristan warned. And then all was quiet. The Pokémon and trainers sat there in silence and listened to the wind rustling through the leaves. Tristan watched as the moon rose higher into sky. _Man, it's getting late. I need to finish this now and then get to Monica and Dash…_

The trainer was snapped out of his musings by a loud cry. Tristan snapped his head to the battlefield just in time to see Murkrow swoop down and slam Froakie to the ground with its wing. Bunnelby instinctively tried to swat at the crow with both of its ears but the black bird blocked them with its beak. Luckily Froakie got back up and tackled Murkrow to the ground, and the two started fighting.

"Get out of there, Murkrow!" Josh commanded. The crow Pokémon flapped its wings hurriedly and kicked up some of the dirt on the ground. Murkrow's amphibian adversary shouted in annoyance as dirt was thrown into its eyes, and that gave Murkrow time to escape. But the bird's victory was short lived. On Tristan's command, Bunnelby swatted Murkrow down with two glowing ears. Dust and dirt particles were thrown into the air from the impact. Josh growled in aggravation.

"Crap…" he muttered, already knowing the outcome, "Murkrow, return." Josh shook his head in anger.

"You're strong, surprisingly so. Believe me, I'm not really a pushover, but you made me seem like one," Josh stated, "And as much as it pains me to admit it, you were the stronger trainer today, kid. But don't think you'll be getting off easy. I'll come back for revenge sooner or later; so don't forget it! Let's go, Abby."

Grudgingly, Josh loosened Monica and Dash's ropes and then walked away. Abby rolled her eyes, returned Skorupi, and then jogged after Josh.

"See ya later, wimps!" said she. Monica sighed.

"I'm too tired to think of a response, and much too tired to try and process what just happened. Thanks for the save though, Tristan, I appreciate it," Monica said appreciatively. Dash nodded in agreement. Tristan shrugged.

"No problem. I'm just glad that they're gone. Speaking of which, I owe that win to these two," Tristan praised. Froakie smiled slightly and Bunnelby jumped for joy. Tristan laughed.

"Alright," Tristan said as he returned his Pokémon, "let's head back to the Pokémon Center. I'm tired!" The teen received two wholehearted 'Yeses' from his friends, and the three walked back to the Pokémon Center together.

X-X-X-X

Josh smirked as he removed a phone from his pocket. Abby sat beside him.

"That went just as expected," the man in black said. The woman nodded.

"The Boss'll be happy to know, that's for sure," she agreed. Josh touched the phone's screen and the phone began to ring.

"Hello, Boss," Josh greeted, "Yes, it's over… Did I win? Nope, just like you wanted, right? That kid won with both Pokémon left. He's strong alright… Hmm? Oh, yes, of course. I'll make sure to do that, thanks Boss." Josh ended the call and pocketed his phone. Abby glanced at her partner in crime.

"Why did the Boss want you to lose again?" she questioned. Josh shrugged.

"Not sure. Don't get me wrong, the Boss told me to try my hardest and all, but they still wanted me to lose. Who knows? I'm sure the Boss has good reasoning behind it, though," Josh opined, "But that's behind us. We need to get moving." Abby nodded.

"Yep, let's get going. We still have one more thing to do…"

X-X-X-X

**Aye aye aye. I was hoping to get this thing out over the weekend, but I remembered that I had a (pretty much) day-long event to go to. But no matter, the chapter is here! **

**And yes, it looks like this isn't the last time that we'll see Josh! So yeah, dun dun duuuuunnn! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter by the way. :)**

**Questions:**

**What was that? Why do you think Josh and Abby let Tristan and the others off the hook so easily?**

**How do you feel about shiny Froakie? (I love shiny Greninja soooo…)**

**Tristan's Team:**

**Froakie – Level 10 – Bubble, Pound, Lick, Quick Attack**

**Bunnelby – Level 11 – Quick Attack, Double Slap, Agility, Tackle**


	6. Chapter 6 - Clades

**Address the reviews! :D**

** FlameStriker123 – Yes, Froakie is a shiny! Tristan is lucky indeed… Also, to respond to your answers: I won't tell you anything. :P You'll have to stay tuned for more! Also shiny Froakie is cool, but shiny Greninja is awesome. Thanks for the review!**

** ElTorro – Thank you for the review! Yes, Froakie and Bunnelby are both quite competent fighter, and very good at listening. That won't be the case for all of Tristan's Pokémon, however. Also, I agree with your comment on getting a shiny Pokémon. It's very rare, and very unlikely, but I love shiny Greninja way too much. XD Also, there's another reason for it being shiny, but you'll have to wait until Chapter 7 to see why (kinda).**

**So, I hope those reading enjoyed the last chapter. Last chapter we saw Josh, a mysterious man in all black, battle our protagonist Tristan. What is his intention? Who knows? But, Tristan and friends will try to push that out of their minds… for now. So without further ado, I present to you Chapter 6!**

**Chapter 6 – Clades**

Tristan, Monica and Dash sat around a table in the corner of the Pokémon Center talking amongst themselves about the previous night's events. Dash rubbed his eyes sleepily.

"I'm so confused, to be honest. I have no idea what those guys wanted or why they were here, but at the moment I don't care," the teen muttered quietly. Monica chuckled at Dash's comment and Tristan's lips curled into a smile.

"I'll agree with you on one thing," said Monica, "We shouldn't worry too much about what those two were doing. They're gone and we're all okay, which is all that matters." Tristan and Dash both nodded absently, causing Monica to tilt her head in slight confusion.

"You two have been awfully quiet. You can't be _that _tired, can you?" she quizzed. Tristan, finally coming to life, shook his head.

"Oh, no, I'm perfectly alright. I'm just thinking about today… I think I'm going to go challenge the gym here," he responded slowly. Tristan's two listeners perked up at the statement.

"Are you?" Dash quizzed, "If so, then great! I'll watch the match, if you don't mind." Monica agreed to go to the gym as well. Tristan grinned.

"You guys are too supportive, you know that? I appreciate it, though. So, I guess we can head over to the gym in an hour or so…" Tristan responded.

"Sounds like a plan!" responded the teen's friends.

X-X-X-X

Tristan gripped the door handle excitedly and exhaled. The new trainer quickly opened the door and walked inside a building. He was greeted by a dark-haired lady as he, Monica, and Dash entered.

"Hello, and welcome to the gym! Are you looking to challenge the leader today?" the clerk inquired. Tristan confirmed the clerk's suspicions by nodding.

"Alright! The leader of the gym has no registered challengers today, so feel free to enter and battle her now," said the young woman behind the desk.

"Thank you!" replied the three trainers. Tristan then focused his attention on the large, dark green doors towards the end of the room. _The battle for the badge begins once I step through those doors. Man, I'm excited!_

Within moments Dash had opened one of the green doors and allowed his two friends to enter the room before him. Tristan stepped onto the battlefield, while his friends strode to the bleachers after telling him good luck. Across from the eager teenager stood a woman with short, sandy blond hair and green eyes. She wore what looked like brown boots, knee-length shorts, and a white shirt. She raised an eyebrow as Tristan stepped up to the battlefield.

"I didn't expect to have any challengers today," the woman stated, "But no matter. Now where are my manners? I'm Viola, the bug-type gym leader of Santalune City. I prefer gym battles that are two on two, by the way, is that alright with you?"

"That's quite alright with me. My name's Tristan, by the way," Tristan replied politely. Viola grinned and pulled out a Poké Ball.

"Well then, Tristan, I accept your challenge. Go, Surskit!" Viola cried.

On Viola's side of the battlefield appeared a small blue insect with four long legs. It also had a single yellow antenna that seemed to twitch every so often. Tristan reached for a Poké Ball.

"Alright, let's do this, Bunnelby!" Tristan cried out. The small rabbit appeared on the battlefield with a flash and started to hop around on instinct.

"This is a gym battle, Bunnelby, so let's try out best," instructed Tristan, "So, start out with Quick Attack!" Bunnelby used its powerful legs to give itself a bit of extra speed as it sped quickly towards the opposing Surskit. As the rabbit neared its target, Viola revealed her counterattack.

"Aim Water Sport at the ground, Surskit!" the gym leader ordered. The four-legged bug type opened its mouth and spat out a burst of water onto the ground. Bunnelby kept speeding forward towards Surskit without thinking and, unexpectedly, tripped on the puddle created by Water Sport.

"Crap. Get out of there, Bunnelby!" Tristan said with worry. The normal type Pokémon tried to force itself up quickly, but was rammed to the ground again by Surskit's Quick Attack.

"Go for another Quick Attack, Surskit, don't give Bunnelby a chance!" Viola called out. Surskit once again flashed over to Bunnelby with surprising speed, but the grounded hare caught the speedy bug upon Tristan's request.

"Now slam Surskit to the ground and follow up with Double Slap!" Bunnelby hopped up and, with an over the top midair flip, slammed the blue bug into the ground. Surskit struggled to get up, but was swatted back to the ground with two glowing ears. To everyone in the gym's shock, Viola's first Pokémon was down for the count. The gym leader sighed.

"Surskit return. Thank you for your work, my friend, even when faced against such a strong opponent. Now, Vivillon, it's your time to shine!" Out of Viola's second Poké Ball appeared a gray butterfly Pokémon with large pink butterfly wings. The Pokémon smiled upon being sent out and stared at Bunnelby with sparkling eyes, which unsettled the small rabbit. Noticing this, Tristan spoke up.

"It's alright, Bunnelby, you'll be fine. So let's win this thing, alright?" Bunnelby became calm upon hearing his trainer's reassuring words, and its nervousness faded into excitement. The rabbit balled its ears into fists and began throwing punches into the air, signifying its readiness to battle. Tristan grinned.

"Alright, start with Quick Attack!" Tristan shouted. Bunnelby sped across the battlefield and hopped into the air to ram his opponent, but the pink butterfly dodged easily and gracefully. The rabbit Pokémon landed on the ground and, using the force from the landing, shoved off of the ground again and leapt at Vivillon again.

"Stop Bunnelby's approach with Gust, Vivillon!" Viola countered. Suddenly Vivillon began to flap its wings wildly and kicked up rocks, dust, and dirt as it did so. Within seconds a miniature tornado had formed on the battlefield, and Bunnelby had gotten caught in it!

"Bunnelby get out of there!" Tristan screamed urgently. However, the rabbit Pokémon was unsuccessful, and Vivillon's Gust tossed it around like a ragdoll. Seconds later the Gust was halted, and Bunnelby was thrown to the ground with a dull thud. Bunnelby began to get up, but suddenly found it difficult to do so. Tristan clenched his fists.

"Come on, Bunnelby, I know you can do this!" he called encouragingly. Tristan's words reached the grounded rabbit's ears, but that's all that they were able to do. Upon Viola's orders, Vivillon flew over to the tired normal-type and finished it off with a final Gust. Tristan sighed, but smiled in spite of the event.

"Thank you, Bunnelby, for your hard work. Now, Froakie, let's win this thing!" Tristan released his first Pokémon with a cry of confidence, and the amphibian combatant echoed its trainer's confidence. From across the battlefield Viola smiled.

"Interesting, your Froakie is a shiny one… You're quite the lucky trainer, you know," Viola complimented. Tristan chuckled.

"I guess I am, I guess I am. But shiny or not, Froakie's just as strong!" At this, Viola let out a hearty laugh.

"I admire the faith that you have in your Pokémon! But, let's see you two back it up! Vivillon, use a full powered Gust!" Vivillon nodded and furiously flapped its wings for the third time in the battle, and the miniature tornado began to suck Froakie in. But this time Tristan had a plan.

"Froakie, dive into the Gust!" instructed Tristan. The shiny starter bounded into the gale, and instead of Vivillon's attack sweeping Froakie off of its feet, the Gust actually propelled Froakie towards the surprised bug with great speed.

"Froakie, reveal Water Pulse!" Viola's Pokémon was caught by surprise as a sphere of water was shoved into its face, and the wave that the attack created forced both combatants to the ground. As Froakie landed it backed away hurriedly, in the process dodging Vivillon's Gust. But Froakie's trouble didn't end there.

"Vivillon, add some pressure! Use Poison Powder!" Viola called out. Vivillon's wings began to flap once again, this time releasing a strange purple cloud that advanced towards Froakie. The blue frog managed to dodge the oncoming attack, but was hit by the second. Froakie dropped to one knee as a purple light radiated from his body for a split second. Tristan looked on in worry.

"Give them no time, Vivillon! Fire a Psybeam!" Viola roared. Tristan watched as multiple pink rings crashed into Froakie's body, sending the small creature rolling across the battlefield. Tristan clenched his fist even tighter, but was relieved when Froakie stood up after the seemingly powerful attack. _I guess now is the time to see if this works… _Tristan thought.

"Froakie, approach Vivillon with a zigzagging Quick Attack!" As ordered, Froakie darted across the battlefield in a confusing manner. Vivillon responded with a hasty Gust right in front of the poor creature, however. Tristan grinned.

"Great, now use Gust's force to propel you towards Vivillon and use another Water Pulse!" The gym leader as well as Tristan's friends in the stands widened their eye as the blue blur used Vivillon's Gust to shoot itself like a cannonball. Froakie formed the ball of water in its palm and slammed it forcefully into the butterfly. Vivillon cried out in pain as it fell to the ground, but surprisingly enough was hanging on.

"Vivillon, don't let them approach! Use –" Viola cut herself off as Froakie came down from midair with a glowing fist and whacked the butterfly. The impact kicked some dust up, and after it settled Vivillon had fainted. Viola sighed.

"Thank you, Vivillon. Have some rest," Viola said gratefully. On the opposite end of the battlefield, Tristan beamed in excitement and celebrated. Froakie smiled as well and hopped onto Tristan's shoulder. Viola approached them soon after, not appearing disappointed in the slightest.

"That was wonderful! I'll tell you, your Pokémon strong, and you are as well! The fact that you could think to use my tactics against me so quickly is awesome, and your Pokémon performed so well. Well done, honestly! And with that, I have no qualms with giving you the Bug Badge!" Viola handed Tristan the small metal object. It was a light brown color and slightly rounded, and it had two green circles on it. At the top of the badge there was an arch with green marks on it. Tristan smiled and stored the shining new badge in his badge case.

"Alright! We did it! Thank you for the battle, Viola," Tristan said appreciatively.

"Oh, it was no problem at all! Thank **you **for the battle! Well, I'll see you around. Good luck!" Viola said cheerfully. Tristan began to walk out of the gym as his friends followed, leaving Viola all to herself. Viola reached into her back pocket and pulled out a phone. The gym leader quickly entered a phone number and raised the device to her ear.

"Hello? Yeah, it's me, Viola. Tristan's beaten me in battle, and he's coming along **quite** nicely…"

X-X-X-X

**And that's a wrap! If you thought that this was short, then I'm sorry. I'll try to make the chapters longer, but I didn't want to include more than the battle in this chapter. So, Tristan won his first gym battle with (relative) ease! And, we witnessed Viola talk on the phone at the end. What is she up to? Who knows…? :)**

**I hope you all enjoyed! And now for Tristan's Pokémon:**

**Froakie – Level 15 – Pound, Quick Attack, Water Pulse, Lick**

**Bunnelby – Level 15 – Quick Attack, Double Slap, Mud Slap, Take Down**


	7. Chapter 7 - Gladius

**Alright! So, last chapter Tristan won his first badge somewhat easily, and then left. Meanwhile, Viola talks to someone behind the scenes. You can guess what it's all about, but I won't say. :) I thank you all for reviewing, by the way.**

** FlameStriker123 – Yes, the two are very great battlers. Not all of Tristan's Pokémon will be like that. And, to be honest, I completely forgot about using the Poké Dex for entries. XD Thank you for that, and thanks for the review!**

** ElTorro – I wasn't trying to be unpredictable, but thanks. :D And yes, Froakie is stronger than Bunnelby, but both are very competent fighters. You can't wait for more, you say? Well, here you are! (Thanks for the review, by the way).**

**To the story, I say!**

**Chapter 7 – Gladius**

A shadowy figure sat in a dark room behind a desk staring at three large computer monitors. They glanced at one, and then the other, before grinning.

"Perfect," they mumbled aloud. As they spoke, a man walked into the room covered in black clothes. The man kneeled.

"Leader," said the man, "the boy has just –." The person behind the monitors cut them off quickly.

"I am well aware, Drew. Now, why don't you go be a useful admin for once? Didn't I tell you to do something? I did, now go do it! I have work to do," came the scathing reply. Drew reacted to his leader's words with wide eyes.

"Y-Yes, Leader, of course. I'll get right on that, I'm sorry," the admin stammered. Then the man left as quickly as he came. The figure in the chair sighed and shook their head.

"Idiot. Now, where was I…?"

**X-X-X-X**

Tristan smiled as his friendly frog Pokémon jumped onto his shoulder. Froakie was smiling as well, still excited about the gym battle that he had helped Tristan to win a day ago. The small amphibious creature then decided to hop onto the ground, and began to hop along the dirt path ahead of him. Tristan chuckled at his starter's eagerness.

"I know you're excited, Froakie, I am too. We should arrive at Lumiose City in a few hours, though, so don't get too impatient," Tristan told the frog. Froakie seemed to sigh and then shrug its shoulders before hopping into its Poké Ball. _It's a good thing that Froakie's getting some rest, he's gonna need it after the gym battle we just had. I may visit the Pokémon Center when we get to Lumiose just in case._

Wordlessly, Tristan began to walk down the dirt path before him with excitement. He couldn't explain why he felt the way he did, but somewhere in his mind he had the feeling that something interesting was going to happen that day.

X-X-X-X

***?'s POV*******

I saw a teen with brown hair and blue eyes walk into the Pokémon Center about twenty yards away. A Froakie was resting on his shoulder, and the two seemed to be having a conversation. I smiled. _Perhaps he's the one I'm looking for. Who knows? I'll just have to wait and see…_

It was then that I forced myself to stand up and move away from the bench that I was sitting on, and instead walk towards the red roofed building that I saw the teen stride into. I checked to make sure that all of my Pokémon's Poké Balls were beneath my black jacket, and they were. My smile turned into a grin. _Here we go._

X-X-X-X

***Normal POV (3****rd**** person)*******

Tristan was more than excited to see the massive area that was Lumiose City, and the newly present Froakie was as well. _But first, _Tristan thought, _I think it would be best to visit the Pokémon Center._

The fifteen-year-old began to approach the red roofed building, while discussing with his water starter where they would go next. Upon entering, the trainer approached Nurse Joy's counter and set Froakie and Bunnelby's Poké Balls down.

"Would you like me to heal your Pokémon?" Nurse Joy inquired. Tristan nodded.

"I'm sure my Pokémon would like that, yes. I'll see you in a bit, Froakie." The amphibian nodded slowly before being zapped into the spherical device, and Nurse Joy walked over to the healing machine nearby. Tristan decided to look around the center to pass the short amount of time, and saw that it was empty. Not a soul sat on the bright red benches, or read from the solitary bookshelf in the corner of the building. It was then that the teen spotted someone sitting on the opposite side of the center.

They appeared to be around Tristan's age, and caught the new trainer's attention with their black jacket and red shirt. Both the stranger and Tristan made eye contact for a split second, allowing the latter to observe his black eyes. Tristan soon averted his gaze.

"Gah, I hate it when that happens…" Tristan mumbled absently. Nurse Joy, however, snapped the teen out of his musings and the Kalosian happily took his two Pokémon back from the pink haired caretaker. _Now that that's done, I think it's time to go explore the city, _Tristan decided. The teen began to walk towards the door, and as he did he noticed the stranger from before do the same. Choosing to ignore the coincidence, Tristan quickly stepped out of the building and began to walk down the street that went around the city.

Suddenly, a white flash appeared. Tristan's bubble bearing partner appeared on his shoulder with a grin. Tristan couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, Froakie. You can't stay in your Poké Ball for too long, can you? I don't blame you," said the Kalosian sympathetically. Froakie opted not to respond. Instead, the blue frog began to observe the massive city around him. The water type sat perched upon his trainer's shoulder in awe as it observed the tall structure in the middle of the city. After a minute had passed, Froakie suddenly became more aware of its surroundings than before. Froakie tapped Tristan on the shoulder and jerked his head in the direction behind him.

"What's up? Is there something behind us?" the teen quizzed. Froakie nodded. Tristan snuck a cursory glance behind him, and saw the same teenager from the Pokémon Center. The concerned trainer stopped and addressed the person following him.

"Can I help you?" Tristan asked calmly. The stranger in black stopped.

"Hm? Oh, I'm sorry! Did I freak you out by following you? I meant to stop you once we got out of the Pokémon Center, but I forgot to," he answered. Tristan nodded slowly.

"Okay… So what do you need me for?" Tristan inquired awkwardly. The other trainer smiled and extended his hand.

"Well, first of all, my name's Blade. It's nice to meet you." Tristan took Blade's proffered hand and shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Blade. I'm Tristan," was the reply. Blade nodded and spoke up immediately.

"Well, I saw you and your Froakie walk into the Pokémon Center, and I decided to go talk to you in order to see if you wanted to battle. But, I ended up getting distracted and forgot to say something," Blade explained. Tristan was somewhat surprised by the answer, as he did not expect it, but considered the proposal nonetheless.

"You know what? If my Pokémon are up for it, then I am too. Froakie, are you okay with this?" The amphibian Pokémon cheered confidently and hopped onto the ground. Blade nodded slowly and lifted the side of his jacket. Tristan saw his tall adversary reach for a row of Poké Balls on the inside of his jacket, and soon enough Blade had picked one of the spherical devices.

"Is a one on one battle fine?" Blade asked politely. Tristan grinned.

"Heck yeah! Alright, Froakie, let's do this!" Tristan shouted ecstatically. Blade couldn't help but chuckle at Tristan's eagerness. The once mysterious trainer turned a Poké Ball over in his hand and then tossed the red and white device into the air.

"Alright, Pawniard, the battle begins!" A small humanoid creature appeared on the battlefield opposite of Froakie. It had a mostly dark gray body, with the exception of red extremities. Tristan could see blades protrude from the Pokémon's hands, torso, and head, giving it a very menacing appearance. Pawniard's yellow eyes seemed to gaze into Froakie's soul, unnerving the water type greatly. It was then that Tristan reached into his back pocket and pulled out the Pokédex. _That thing is so cool, not gonna lie. Now, let's see what this thing has to say about it… _The Pokédex began to speak in its metallic voice.

"Pawniard, the Sharp Blade Pokémon. Blades comprise this Pokémon's entire body. If battling dulls the blades, it sharpens them on stones by the river." The red device also informed Tristan that Pawniard was a dark and steel type. The information did not bode well with the novice trainer as he pocketed the Pokédex. _So not only does Pawniard have a pretty intimidating presence, but it also has a type known for being able to take a lot of hits. This will be tough, but Froakie can do it._

"Alright, Froakie, there's no reason to be scared. Let's start off with Quick Attack!" Froakie obeyed and almost immediately bolted towards his opponent at a high speed. Pawniard remained calm and unflinching, and then suddenly disappeared. Froakie came to a halt and looked around in panic, unsure of where Pawniard could be.

As if on cue, the grey and red creature appeared from behind Froakie and punched it with a fist surrounded in spiraling purple energy. The amphibian cried out in pain as was shoved to the ground.

"Follow up with Iron Head, Pawniard!" Blade instructed. Pawniard's head began to take on a metallic shine, and the chess piece leapt up and attempted to slam its head into Froakie. Upon orders from its trainer, Froakie rolled out of the way at the last second, which caused Pawniard to get the blade on its head wedged firmly in the street. Both Tristan and his starter grinned.

"Captialize on that with Water Pulse!" Froakie sped over to the stuck dark and steel type and delivered a powerful blow to Pawniard's face. The ball of water in Froakie's hand exploded with water and forced the humanoid creature into the air, allowing Froakie to chase it with another sphere of water. _Just a bit closer… _Blade thought.

"Now, Pawniard, use Sucker Punch!" Once again the living chess piece vanished into thin air, leaving an airborne amphibian all by himself. Pawniard appeared moments later in Froakie's blind spot, nailing the poor Pokémon with its bladed fist for the second time. Froakie was sent spiraling towards the ground and kicked up dust upon impact.

"Are you alright?" was Tristan's concerned question. The teen watched as the water type struggled to get up, eventually dropping to one knee. Froakie tried to stand up once more, but fell flat on its face. Tristan couldn't stand to see the sight any more.

"Froakie, return," he said with a sigh. The red beam from the Poké Ball zoomed towards the injured Pokémon, but Froakie decided to move out of the way at the last second. Tristan was puzzled, but his questions were answered when he saw Froakie become cloaked in a bright light.

The once small frog grew slightly larger, just like the bubbles around its neck. Froakie's evolution had a light blue underside, as well as a darker blue backside. Tristan grinned as wide a possible.

"Wow, that's awesome!" the trainer shouted with genuine excitement. Tristan immediately grabbed for his Poké Dex. It said in a metallic voice:

"Frogadier, the Bubble Frog Pokémon. Its swiftness is unparalleled. It can scale a tower of more than 2,000 feet in a minute's time. New move learned: Smokescreen." With this new information in mind, Tristan pocketed the red device.

"That's awesome! Are you ready, Froagdier?" Tristan asked the newly evolved Pokémon. The new and improved starter cheered with renewed energy, prompting Tristan to give him a command.

"Alright, use Smokescreen!" Suddenly, Frogadier slammed its hand on the ground and a cloud of smoke appeared that covered the battlefield.

"Be careful out there, Pawniard!" Blade instructed. Pawniard obeyed and prepared itself for an attack, but one never came. The battlefield was silent.

"Go in for a Water Pulse, Frogadier!" Tristan shouted. Both trainers heard the sound of Pawniard and Frogadier shouting, then a loud splash, and finally a smack. Both trainers called out to their Pokémon, but neither got a reply. However, the smoke cleared within seconds, and Frogadier was revealed to be out cold on his back. Pawniard, meanwhile, was down on one knee in pain. Tristan, though shocked at the loss, walked up to Blade as he returned Frogadier.

"Holy crap, that was close! That was a great battle, Blade. Your Pawniard is really strong," Tristan praised. Blade smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Haha, thanks. Your Frogadier is strong too, more so than I thought. I'd love to battle again sometime, if you're up for it," Blade offered. Tristan nodded.

"Sounds like a plan," the teen agreed. Blade then revealed a potion from his bag and sprayed Pawniard with it, and the dark type's fatigue and pain washed away. The dark haired trainer then offered Tristan a potion, but the latter waved him off.

"I appreciate the kindness, Blade, I really do. But I'd hate to waste your stuff. After all, the Pokémon Center is really close." Blade shrugged.

"Alright, if you insist. Well, I'll see you around sometime, Tristan." The two then shook hands, and Blade walked off down the street. Tristan turned around silently and walked back to the Pokémon Center.

X-X-X-X

The teen in black and red walked down the street with his Pawniard next him.

"Man! His Frogadier was stronger than I thought! It actually amazes me. Most Frogadier shouldn't be like that, after all," Blade muttered. Pawniard crossed its bladed arms and nodded slowly. It was then that the living chess piece tapped its trainer's leg to catch his attention. Blade looked down at the dark type Pokémon in confusion, who raised an arm to his head in response.

"Oh, right, right. Thanks for the reminder," the trainer said gratefully. Blade reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a phone. The dark haired teen began to hurriedly tap the phone's screen, and then raised the device to his ear.

"Hello? Yeah, it's me, Blade. You wanted me to fight Tristan, right? Well, I did. His Froakie just evolved into Frogadier, and let me be the first to say that it's stronger than I expected. Hm? Did I lose? No, no I didn't… Okay, sure. I'll talk to you or one of the others later." The teen then ended the call and pocketed the phone before looking down at his Pokémon friend.

"Well, it looks like we're free to do whatever for a bit. I guess we should head to the next city, right?" Blade inquired. Pawniard nodded silently and then entered his Poké Ball, leaving Blade alone. He sighed and put his hands in his pockets. _Well, so far so good…_

X-X-X-X

**Well, well, well! That was the end of the chapter! I'm SOOOO sorry for taking so long to post this thing. It was partially due to laziness, but there were other factors involved. So, I hope you all enjoyed reading this. Feel free to make any predictions about what Pokémon Tristan will catch eventually, what may happen in the near future, or who the heck Blade is. (Also, that Pawniard is a beast, and will continue to be). And finally, for those who are interested, here is Tristan's team:**

**Frogadier – Level 18 – Smokescreen, Quick Attack, Lick, Water Pulse**

**Bunnelby – Level 16 – Quick Attack, Double Slap, Take Down, Mud Slap**


	8. Chapter 8 - Ambulare et Quarere

**Hello everyone. :) From what I've seen of the reviews, it would seem that this story is being enjoyed so far. So, last chapter Tristan ran into a stranger by the name of Blade. The two battled, and, despite Froakie evolving into Frogadier, Blade's Pawniard won. We then saw Blade make a phone call to someone as the chapter came to a close. What is he up to? We'll have to see…**

** ElTorro – Yes, Pawniard is awesome. :D I love that thing. And I do get where you're coming from, but I wanted to emphasize the strength of Blade's Pokémon. I love the next thing you said, by the way. Creepy organizations, man, gotta love them (or not). Thanks for the review!**

** FlameStriker123 – Shiny Greninja will show up eventually, and it's gonna be sweet. Also, I'm glad that you liked the battle! And yes, Blade will show up again. I hope you'll be looing forward to that. :) Thank you for the review!**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 8 – Ambulare et Quarere**

"Thank you for waiting! Your Frogadier is healthy and ready to go, so take care!" the cheerful pink-haired nurse chirped. Tristan nodded in thanks and grabbed Frogadier's Poké Ball off of the counter before exiting the Pokémon Center.

The fifteen year old walked onto the streets of Lumiose and began to make his way around the outside of the city. He wasn't quite sure what he was doing or where he was going, but he knew that he desired to explore the vast city. After several minutes of wandering aimlessly, Tristan found himself in the center of Lumiose. Before him was a monumental white tower with large vertical sections of window. The tower seemed to glow in the sunlight as Tristan began to observe it further.

"Wow, that's a pretty cool tower…" Tristan mumbled quietly. As he began to amble around the area that the tower was in, he noticed a Poké Ball symbol hanging above the doorway leading into the tower. The teen's eyes widened slightly.

_That's right, there is a gym in this city! Perhaps I'll try challenging it… _the novice trainer thought with excitement. Tristan was at the door within a few seconds and grasped the door handle. He opened the metal door, which was surprisingly light, and stepped inside. A smiling blond woman who was dressed in blue met Tristan upon his entering.

"Hello! Welcome to the Lumiose City Gym! Are you here to challenge the leader?" she asked politely. Tristan shrugged.

"I guess so. I had forgotten that this city had a gym, to be honest," admitted the trainer. The woman in blue giggled before holding her hand out.

"Alright, if that's the case, I'll need to see how many badges you have." Tristan answered her immediately.

"I've got one, why?" he inquired. Tristan saw the greeter pause and look to the side.

"Oh… Well, I'm not sure how to tell you this," she began hesitantly, "but the Lumiose Gym is the fifth gym. You still need four more gym badges to challenge this gym." Tristan rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Really? Aw man, I feel stupid. Well, thanks anyways!" Tristan then turned around and opened the door leading to the outside world, not giving the woman a chance to respond. The brown haired trainer shook his head and smiled in spite of him self. _That's good to know for later, I guess. Now, let's see what else I can find in this giant city._

**X-X-X-X**

***Dash's POV***

I was walking through the massive city of Lumiose with Monica by my side when I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I looked down to see Monica pointing at someone or something about fifty feet away.

"What's up?" I inquired. Monica still pointed ahead.

"I think I just saw Tristan over there," she finally said, "so I figured we could try to catch up to him." I nodded slowly.

"Sounds like a plan," I responded quickly. I began to walk across the middle of the city where the tower was held, but stopped and turned to Monica.

"Which way did he go again?" I quizzed. Monica opened her mouth before shutting it and moving a strand of her blond hair behind her ear.

"I don't know…" she answered sheepishly.

**X-X-X-X**

***Normal 3****rd**** Person POV*******

Tristan sat calmly on one of the benches scattered throughout Lumiose City. The teen smiled as he observed his two Pokémon, Bunnelby and Frogadier, having a conversation a few feet away.

"This is a pretty cool city, isn't it?" Tristan opined. Bunnelby and Frogadier interrupted their conversation and nodded in agreement. Suddenly, Tristan heard his name being called. The teenager turned his head towards the sound and saw Monica and Dash strolling towards him. Tristan recalled Tristan and Froakie before scooting to the edge of the bench.

"Oh, hey! How are you two doing?" Tristan greeted casually. Dash and Monica sat next to him on the bench before replying.

"Well," Monica answered, "I've been doing well. Dash and I have been travelling together for the past week or so, which is cool I guess." Dash feigned hurt at her comment before laughing.

"Yeah, we've been doing well. You?" was Dash's question. Tristan thought about Dash's words for a second before replying.

"Well, you've already met my Pokémon. I'm sure you saw them as you walked up, too. We're all coming along nicely, and I'm excited to see what we can do against other trainers and gym leaders," Tristan stated with a grin. Dash raised an eyebrow at this.

"Oh really? Well, you still owe me a battle, you know," the African American insinuated with a smirk. Tristan laughed at this and stood up.

"Why don't be battle now? It can be a one on one or a two on two, whichever you prefer," Tristan offered. Dash stood up as well and walked several yards away from Tristan.

"Sounds like a two on two battle to me! Once both sides have lost two Pokémon, they will be declared the loser. No switching, deal?" was Dash's proposal. Tristan nodded confidently.

"Deal. Now let's go!" Tristan shouted while reaching for a Poké Ball, "And remember, you'll do fine. Bunnelby, let's do this!"

The small rabbit Pokémon hopped back and forth on its feet in anticipation for the battle; it had been a while, after all. Seeing this, Dash grabbed for a Poké Ball on his belt.

"Time to fight, Honedge!" the tall trainer cried. On Dash's side of the field appeared a small sword Pokémon with the blade pointed towards the ground. It had what appeared to be a single blue eye on a golden hilt, and blue sash attached to the hilt. Tristan observed the Pokémon with a mix of awe and confusion. _Dang! That thing is so cool, yet so strange. I wonder what it can do… Oh, right, I have a Pokédex._

Tristan opened up the device, which told him that Honedge was a ghost and steel type. The teen grinned excitedly. _Sweet, it's another steel type._

"Alright, Bunnelby, start out with Quick Attack!" Tristan ordered. The small rabbit pushed off of its right leg and sped towards the animate sword before him. Honedge watched unflinchingly at the normal type ran towards him at high speeds, and seemed to laugh as Bunnelby passed through him.

"Now, turn around and use Pursuit!" Dash called. Honedge immediately became surrounded in a black and purple ring and crashed into the confused rabbit Pokémon, who was sent tumbling backwards. Bunnelby stood up tentatively to test for any injuries, and was happy to find nothing immediately wrong as he hopped back over to Tristan. The fifteen-year-old trainer stood in silence and retreated to his thoughts.

_How could I be so stupid? I neglected the fact that Honedge is part ghost type, and tried to hit it with an attack that it's immune to: a normal type one. Most of Bunnelby's moves are normal, and I can't switch to Frogadier. Oh man… _Tristan began to think frantically of something he could do, any strategy or saving grace. He needed something to save him and Bunnelby from an automatic loss against Honedge. It was then that Tristan realized something. He knew it was a slim chance, but decided to attempt it anyways.

"Bunnelby, use Quick Attack again!" Tristan barked. Bunnelby looked at his trainer with confusion, but Tristan waved him on. Bunnelby obeyed hesitantly and sped off. Dash, who had been waiting patiently the entire time, shook his head.

"It won't work, dude. Honedge, prepare to strike back with Pursuit," ordered the tall trainer calmly. The nimble normal type was nearing Honedge when Tristan shouted his next command.

"Mud-Slap!" Bunnelby instantaneously stopped right in front of Honedge and dug his ears into the ground. The rabbit smirked as he raised his ears and hurled bits of rock and dirt into the animate sword's face. Honedge floated backwards out of surprise and began to violently shake itself to get rid of the dirt in its eye, giving Bunnelby a chance to attack again.

"Go in for another Mud-Slap, Bunnelby!" Tristan continued confidently. The normal type once again dug his large ears into the ground and hurled more dirt at the temporarily blinded ghost type type, who responded with annoyance. Dash watched the battle nervously.

"Agh! Honedge, hit back with Pursuit!" was Dash's command. The ghost and steel type creature was once again surrounded by a purple and black circle and rushed at Bunnelby. Bunnelby laughed as it easily jumped over the blinded sword creature. Dash sighed.

_I wanted to save this for when I fought Frogadier, but it looks like it'll be a better idea to do it now… _the African American mused.

"Alright, Honedge, use Autotomize and Swords Dance!" Dash instructed. Suddenly, Honedge began to shine metallically while shedding bits of metal. Then, the animate sword shone red as large blades rotated around it. Honedge was surrounded by a red aura and cut through the air menacingly as its stats were raised. Dash grinned.

"Now it's our turn! Honedge, chase after Bunnelby with Pursuit!" Dash shouted confidently. Before Bunnelby could react, Honedge was in front of him. Honedge slammed the small normal type to the ground forcefully, leaving Bunnelby to cry out in pain.

"Retaliate with another Mud-Slap!" Tristan cried desperately. Bunnelby barely managed to lift its ears in an attempt to attack again, but was stopped when the opposing ghost and steel type hit it away with its blade growing green.

"Keep up the Fury Cutter attacks, Honedge!" Now Bunnelby was on the run, hopping and dodging any way that it could. Honedge's Fury Cutters were making larger and larger scratches in the ground as the Pokémon kept missing, a telltale sign of the attack's growing power. After dodging for so long, Bunnelby landed on his feet the wrong way and fell to the ground. With a final command, Honedge finished the small rabbit off with Fury Cutter. Tristan raised Bunnelby's Poké Ball

"Thank you, Bunnelby," Tristan said with a sigh as he recalled the fainted normal type, "You did all that you could." Tristan ran a hand through his brown hair and sighed deeply.

_This battle's not going very well. Dash has controlled the battle from the very beginning, so now I need to take that from him… Man, talk about a tense battle. Heck, I'm nervous right now… _Tristan grabbed Frogadier's Poké Ball with a sweaty palm and raised it up. The fifteen-year-old tossed the spherical device onto the battlefield.

"Frogadier, let's do this!"

**X-X-X-X**

**No! Surely I wouldn't be so mean as to end the chapter right here! Well, I am. To be honest, I did think about continuing it, but I decided that this would be a good and (somewhat) suspenseful place to end the battle. Will Tristan's Frogadier manage to pull off a 2v1 against Dash's team? Who knows (besides me)?**

**Seriously though, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to predict how the battle's end will go. Will Frogadier manage to KO Honedge and Dash's next Pokémon, or will he KO any at all? I'd like to see what you think. **

**Finally, I hope you all had a good spring break (if you had one). And if you haven't had it yet, I hope you have a good one.**

**Well, I'll see you guys next time! :)**

**(Oh, and here's Tristan's team)**

**Tristan's Team:**

**Bunnelby – Level 18 – Mud Shot, Quick Attack, Double Slap, Take Down**

**Frogadier – Level 18 – Quick Attack, Lick, Water Pulse, Smokescreen**


	9. Chapter 9 - Silva

**So, I've made an attempt at getting back on track with uploading chapters a lot sooner (I did say I would do that, after all!) So, after I address some of the reviews, the next bit shall begin!**

** ElTorro – Yes, Tristan did make a pretty bad error. Like most trainers, he'll make it part of his goal to minimize those mistakes and control the field. How did Dash get a Honedge, you ask? The answer is quite simple, actually, and will be revealed to you this chapter. And yes, let's hope Frogadier pulls of a solid 2v1 to win it all. But, that seems unlikely, right? OR IS IT? Thanks for the review! :)**

** FlameStriker123 – I broke your heart? Sorry. /3 I've heard you can glue it back together if that happens… Anyways, thanks for the review! You'll just have to see if our friendly neighborhood ninja frog pulls off a 2v1, as well as where Honedge came from. We'll have to see!**

**Chapter 9 – Silva**

With a toss of a Poké Ball as well as a flash of light, a light blue frog appeared on the battlefield. Tristan's Frogadier placed a hand on the ground to balance itself, as the other was held out to the side, and glared at its opponent: a sentient sword by the name of Honedge. Tristan grinned. The battle could still be his.

"Are you ready, Frogadier?" Tristan questioned. The frog nodded with a smile to match Tristan's and braced itself for battle.

"Let's go for Quick Attack!" Tristan commanded confidently. Frogadier leapt off of its right leg without hesitation and sped towards Honedge, who calmly awaited Dash's order.

"Meet it head on with Pursuit!" Dash countered. Honedge was wrapped in dark purple energy before rushing at the approaching frog creature, but Frogadier dodged with Quick Attack.

"Now Smokescreen!" With a flourish, a large cloud of smoke appeared as Frogadier escaped to his side of the battlefield, leaving the sentient sword in darkness. Tristan quickly barked his next order, which was to zone in on Honedge and use Water Pulse. Tristan and Frogadier both knew that it was risky, but it was as risk that they were willing to take. Frogadier charged headfirst into the dark cloud of smoke a moment later.

"Be on the lookout, Honedge, and attack when needed!" Dash called cautiously. Honedge replied back with a grunt, but the battlefield was otherwise silent. A minute passed, and neither Pokémon had made an immediate move on account of the smoke surrounding them. Tristan sighed.

"Frogadier, slam a Water Pulse into the ground!" the trainer called out tactically. On cue, a wave of water flooded the battlefield and cleared the smoke. Dash's Pokémon was impacted in the process and shoved back, but appeared unharmed otherwise. _I need to keep this momentum going… I can't let Dash get it back. Time to apply more pressure._

"Run in with Quick Attack!" barked the excited trainer. Dash watched as the blue amphibian sped across the battlefield with white streaks surrounding it when Frogadier flashed a dark blue for a split second.

_What the heck? Why did it flash? _Dash thought immediately. However, the confused trainer cut himself off as he watched Frogadier slam the blue sphere into Honedge's body. The startled creature was shoved onto its back by the powerful attack, leaving it open.

"Now use Lick, Frogadier!" Tristan shouted excitedly. As the water starter flashed grey, Frogadier extended its long tongue and smacked Honedge with it, which made the sword cry out again. Dash gritted his teeth as Honedge attempted to stand up while in pain.

"Come on, Honedge, you can do this! Go for Fury Cutter!" Dash called out desperately. Honedge steeled itself and began to glow green; the Pokémon rushed forward, but was stopped by the appearance of static around his body. Dash gasped while Tristan cheered.

"Nice, paralysis! Alright, Frogadier, you know what to do!" Tristan cried while pumping his fist into the air. The amphibian grinned and dashed towards Honedge with a ball of water in its hand before leaping into the air. The water type extended his arm and watched as the Water Pulse collided with Honedge. The steel type was forced backwards by the wave that the attack created and well to the ground. Honedge did not get back up; he had fainted. Dash nodded in appreciation and took out Honedge's Poké Ball.

"Thank you, Honedge, you worked hard. Now, time for my starter! Time to fight, Quilladin!" On Dash's side of the field appeared a fairly short and rotund mammal. It was light green in color with short arms, short legs, and two pointed ears. A smile was plastered on seemingly silly creature. Tristan nodded slowly.

_I've seen this thing before, and I know what it can do. But let's see what happens, _thought the teen casually.

"Frogadier, use Smokescreen!" Tristan ordered strategically. The water type reacted immediately as Tristan's words echoed in his ears and enveloped the battlefield in a cloud of smoke. Tristan heard Dash call out from the smoke.

"An interesting tactic, but I'm afraid it won't work," Dash called confidently, "Quilladin, use whirling Vine Whip!" Suddenly, as Quilladin began to twirl the two vines that appeared from his back, the smoke began to clear. Frogadier and Tristan gasped.

"His vines acted like a helicopter! Dang dude…" Tristan muttered in shock. The trainer shook his head to focus and cast his arm to the side.

"No matter! Frogadier, Quick Attack around Quilladin!" Frogadier sped forward and began to circle its chubby grass type opponent, who could not keep up and started to panic. Quilladin's panic was erased, however, when Dash shouted.

"Pin Missile!" The African American trainer called out to Quilladin, and the mammal volleyed glowing arrows into the air. Tristan however, did not react visibly at the smart attack.

"Frogadier, grab Quilladin with Lick and throw him at the Pin Missiles!" was Tristan's quick reply. Frogadier's long tongue appeared once again and wrapped around Quilladin's torso. Frogadier then used its strength to toss its opponent into the air. Quilladin and Dash observed Tristan's quick thinking with wide eyes, and Quilladin was rocketed towards the ground as its own Pin Missile exploded in front of him.

"Quilladin, are you alright?" Dash called in concern. The stubby Pokémon grunted as it stood up, but replied with energy. Dash smiled.

"Great! Let's get the ball rolling with Rollout!" Frogadier braced itself for the attack, but was shocked when the deceptively speedy attack nailed him in the back. Frogadier fell face first on the ground, and Quilladin used the opportunity to roll back towards Frogadier.

"Not this time! Frogadier, strike back with Water Pulse!" A second later, the sphere of water collided with Quilladin's rock covered body. The forceful attack exploded and knocked both starters back to their sides of the battlefield. Both Pokémon were now showing physical signs of being damaged, and Dash and Tristan knew that the battle would end soon. _Time to surprise him! _Dash thought deviously.

"Quilladin, hit the ground below your feet with Pin Missile!" Dash shouted emphatically. Tristan was puzzled, to say the least. Even Quilladin glanced at its trainer with concern. Dash nodded, and Quilladin saw that his trainer was serious. Obediently, the mammal shot a glowing white spear at the ground, and it exploded.

Frogadier began to instinctively look for the grass starter, but couldn't find him. Dash issued his next command, which was to use Rollout, and still Frogadier could see nothing. Tristan suddenly shouted in panic.

"Above you, Frogadier! Jump and use Water Pulse!" The ninja frog looked up in total surprise as Quilladin began to plummet while encased in a rocky shell, but shook it off and formed a Water Pulse. The amphibian used its jumping prowess to shoot itself into the air and extended its arm to meet Quilladin head on.

Quilladin and Frogadier struggled for control; Frogadier for the ability to push Quilladin away, and Quilladin for the ability to force Frogadier to the ground. After a few seconds of struggle, the force of gravity as well as Quilladin's Rollout prevailed. Frogadier was sent plunging towards the streets of Lumiose with Quilladin's rock-covered body close behind. Frogadier hit the ground with a painful thud, leaving Quilladin to finish the fight with a gravity-fueled Rollout. Dash and Tristan both returned their Pokémon with nothing but praise to say.

The two friendly rivals met each other in the middle of the battlefield and shook hands, complimenting each other on the battle.

"Dash, that Pin Missile idea was genius! Where did you get that from?" Tristan quizzed. Dash laughed.

"Well, to be honest, I thought of it mid-battle," he answered. Tristan chuckled in response.

"I knew this would be a great battle! See, I told you that you would be fine!" Tristan stated encouragingly. Dash nodded and grinned.

"Yep. Well, Monica and I will see you around. Once you're done healing up at the Pokémon Center, you should visit Parfum Palace! The walk there is cool, and it's also where I caught my Honedge," Dash said informatively.

"Alright, will do! See you around, Dash, Monica!" The three friends waved and separated, Tristan heading towards the Pokémon Center, and Dash and Monica the opposite way.

**X-X-X-X**

Tristan walked peacefully towards the small forest before him. After leaving Lumiose, he followed the route to a small town called Camphrier. While there, a kind elderly lady pointed him towards the route that led to Parfum Palace, which was where he was now.

_This place is pretty cool, actually. It's a straight row of trees and a large, grassy field on either side. I wonder what other Pokémon you can catch here, _the teen mused absently. The trainer began to walk further down the path and enjoy the surroundings. Small bird Pokémon called Fletchling flew overhead, and the new trainer could see Honedge and small bug types called Venipede lurk through the grass. More time passed, perhaps ten minutes, and still nothing of interest had happened.

_Man, this is exciting! _Tristan thought sarcastically. After several more minutes of walking in silence, Tristan came to a large clearing at the end of the path. The trainer marveled at the sight before him. A large palace loomed before him. Its towering stone walls and elegant glass windows exuded royalty, and Tristan was intrigued. As he walked up to the gate, a grey-haired man in a suit stopped him.

"I'm sorry, sir," the elderly man began in a monotone voice, "But I'm afraid that you will not be able to enter Parfum Palace at the moment. You see, it is closed for repairs, as some of the walls have started to deteriorate. You will have to come back a few months from now." Tristan's jaw dropped.

"You've got to be kidding me! Alright, thanks anyways," Tristan responded with a sigh. Without further conversation, Tristan spun on his heel, walked away from the grandiose palace, and strode towards the forest.

**X-X-X-X**

Tristan yawned as he entered Camphrier Town. His day had been more eventful than expected, and he was already starting to get tired. Despite it being only eight PM, the trainer wanted nothing more than to eat and rent a room to sleep in at the Pokémon Center. It seemed, too, that the residents agreed with him. Not a soul was walking down the paths of Camphrier except for him.

Tristan continued to make his way towards the red roofed building that was the Pokémon Center, but stopped hesitantly when he heard the rustling of leaves. Tristan reached for Bunnelby's Pokémon before speaking up.

"Who's there?" Tristan questioned. More rustling followed, and Tristan turned around just in time to see a small Pokémon run out of a nearby bush. The small creature was a brown goat with a white face. Two short black horns sprouted from the top of its face, and Tristan could also see a leafy green mane run down the goat's back. The Pokédex identified the creature as a Skiddo.

"Oh, it's a Pokémon! Can I help you, little guy?" Tristan inquired. The Skiddo seemed to take offense to being called 'little' and stomped on the ground angrily. The goat narrowed its eyes and got into a fighting position. Tristan raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, so you want to battle? Okay, I'll humor you. Bunnelby, let's do this!" Tristan threw the red and white spherical device into the air, and the normal type appeared with a flash of light. Seeing an opponent, Bunnelby assumed a fighting position as well. Then, without warning, Skiddo dashed forward and released two vines from its back.

The Vine Whip caught Bunnelby off guard, and the rabbit was bound by the attack in an instant. Bunnelby attempted to break free, but Skiddo's grip proved to be strong. Then, Skiddo slammed the normal type to the ground and rammed it with a Tackle. Bunnelby rolled several feet along the ground from the attack, but got up without many problems.

"Okay, strike back with Quick Attack!" Bunnelby responded to the command immediately and rushed forward as white streaks came off of his body. Seeing this, Skiddo shot a wave of spinning leaves at Bunnelby, but the rabbit jumped over with ease and checked the unprepared grass type. Skiddo was sent skidding back and stopped angrily on the ground again.

"Keep it up, Bunnelby! Use Take Down!" shouted the tired trainer as he threw his arm to the side. Bunnelby was surrounded by more white streaks as he picked up speed and approached the grass type before it. In its anger, Skiddo fired off another Razor Leaf attack at Bunnelby, but the attack was easily dodged. Bunnelby crashed into Skiddo and watched as the small goat was sent rolling along the ground.

Bunnelby winced as it was affected by recoil, but shook off the pain and remained focused. Skiddo, however, was not doing so well. It pushed itself up with its leg; only to fall again as it stepped on the leg that was injured on account of Bunnelby. The grass goat panted heavily; its coat was matted by dirt and sweat, yet it still looked defiantly at Tristan and Bunnelby. Tristan couldn't help but pity the defeated creature. Tristan strode towards the injured Pokémon despite its growls and kneeled in front of it. Tristan rubbed Skiddo's back and smiled.

"You're a crazy one, do you know that? You just don't know when to give up, do you? I like that resilience, though. You know, I would love to have a strong Pokémon like you on my team. I'd help to make you stronger, and you can be part of a great team. What do you say to that?" Tristan proposed. Skiddo seemed shocked. All it had wanted to do was battle, after all. The small goat pondered the proposal for another minute, before closing its eyes for a brief moment as it nodded. Tristan grinned in excitement.

"Great! I'm glad, honestly. Welcome to the team, Skiddo!" Skiddo merely looked to the side as Tristan grabbed a Poké Ball from his bag, refusing to acknowledge his new trainer. Tristan finally acquired a Poké Ball and gently tapped Skiddo's back with it. Tristan stood up as the grass type was recalled to its Poké Ball in a red flash.

"Alright! Bunnelby, you were great. Thank you," Tristan complimented before returning the rabbit. With a yawn, Tristan began to walk back to the Pokémon Center. The teen cheered in excitement. _What do you know? Another friend for the team!_

**X-X-X-X**

**Well, well, well! The chapter is over! Our friend Tristan sure had a hectic day, didn't he? Two battles against two strong trainers, and he lost both of them. But, he captures the defiant Skiddo and makes him a part of the team, so that's good!**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feel free to review and tell me what I did well, as well as what I need to improve on. I would greatly appreciate it.**

**So, the next chapter may or may not feature an important side conversation or two, and it may or may not feature some team training. Hopefully you all will look forward to that.**

_Tristan's new team is:_

_Skiddo – Level 18 – Razor Leaf, Vine Whip, Leech Seed, Tackle_

_Bunnelby – Level 19 – Take Down, Double Slap, Quick Attack, Mud Shot_

_Frogadier – Level 21 – Smokescreen, Water Pulse, Lick, Quick Attack_

**Well, I'll see you all later!**


	10. Chapter 10 - Error

**Such review, very answer, wow.**

** ElTorro – Yes! Tristan has caught a Skiddo of all things. It's a very interesting Pokémon, and one that will give Tristan some difficulty. And you are correct, it would've been highly unlikely for Frogadier to pull off a 2v1 (not to say that I'll never make it happen). Well, thanks for the review! Hopefully you'll enjoy.**

** FlameStriker123 – Frogadier pulling off a 2v1, while awesome, is pretty unlikely. There may be a point where it happens, but I'm not sure. :P And yes, it's a Skiddo. A somewhat weird choice, perhaps, but Tristan didn't think so! Well, thanks for reviewing! I hope you enjoy.**

**So, last chapter Tristan's team was pitted against Dash's, and our main character lost. But, on the bright (ish) side, Tristan caught a defiant Skiddo. So, after making you wait approximately 2 weeks (so sorry, by the way), I present to you chapter ten!**

**Chapter 10 – Error**

Tristan ambled along the dirt path before him with a sense of happiness. He was excited about the new member of his team that he had caught last night, to say the least. Tristan continued to walk further along the path while whistling, occasionally tossing a Poké Ball into the air and catching it. He looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was partially hidden by the fluffy white clouds, making it a perfect day to be outside. The teen smiled.

"That's what I'll do!" he exclaimed aloud, "I'll do some training!" Tristan grabbed all three of the Poké Balls that he had and tossed the spherical devices into the air. In a bright flash of light appeared Frogadier, Bunnelby, and Skiddo. Frogadier and Bunnelby both waved amicably at Tristan, who smiled. Frogadier began to stretch after being in his Poké Ball for so long, but stopped when he noticed a fourth presence. The water type was surprised to see the small grass creature Skiddo standing next to him.

"Oh! I haven't introduced you to Skiddo yet. You see, on the way back from the forest last night we met this guy. He challenged us to a battle, and he decided to join the team afterwards. So, Frogadier, this is Skiddo. Skiddo, this is Frogadier," Tristan explained. Frogadier nodded in approval and extended his hand towards Skiddo, but the goat looked the other way and ignored the ninja frog. Sensing Skiddo's lack of friendliness, Tristan spoke up.

"Well! Why don't we get to training? Bunnelby and Frogadier, you guys can go and practice by yourselves. I'm going to work with Skiddo, okay?" Tristan suggested.

Tristan's older members of the team nodded in agreement and ran towards a grassless area many yards away and threw themselves into a battle. Tristan smiled at their eagerness before turning to Skiddo, who did not share his expression. Tristan frowned slightly.

"Hey, what's up now?" the trainer asked with a sigh. The grass goat began to roll his eyes and make motions towards Frogadier and Bunnelby before pointing to himself. Tristan chuckled.

"Hold on, hold on, I can't understand you. Now, if I remember correctly, Nurse Joy told me that there was a cool translation function in the Pokédex… Ah, here it is!" Tristan held up the rectangular device and pointed it at Skiddo, who began to speak in a robotic voice through the Pokédex.

"I refuse to acknowledge those two weaklings. I'm stronger than the both of them, so why bother? So let them have their fun, I'll be doing most of the work during battles anyway," the Pokémon explained arrogantly. Tristan was silent for a few moments before putting the Pokédex away.

"So, you choose to ignore them because you think that they're weaker than you, therefore not worthy?" Tristan inquired. The teen received a confident nod from the small grass type. Tristan pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose and exhaled. _Interesting… Man oh man, this guy's got some personality, that's for sure._

"Well," Tristan began, "why don't you and I train for an hour or so? After that, you can battle one of them. How does that sound?" Skiddo smirked and nodded, seeming to like the idea. The trainer smiled and led the arrogant Pokémon over to a field different from the one that Frogadier and Bunnelby were in.

"Alright, let's try working on the power behind your attacks first…"

**X-X-X-X**

**?'s POV**

I drummed my fingers on the oak desk in front of me and sighed. _Running Deivis can be a pain sometimes. But hey, at least nothing important needs to be done… yet._

I interrupted my thoughts to turn my chair around towards the numerous screens at the back of my dark office. Seeing the footage brought a smile to my face. I found some humor in watching the footage in the sense that the grunts would forget from time to time that there were staff members watching them, and do stupid stuff because of their forgetfulness. My eyes slowly scanned the black and white screens, looking for any hint of activity that I needed to be aware of. I ended up focusing on a particular screen towards the left, and it was one of the cameras that focused on the dining hall. Three female grunts were sitting at a table eating a late breakfast. Being as bored as I was, I decided to turn on the camera's audio and listen to their conversation.

"Man, things have been pretty slow lately. We haven't had much to do," one said.

"I know right?" said another cheerily, "To be honest, I don't mind very much."

The third remained silent. I saw that she was Abby, the woman I had Josh become partners with. I noticed that she began to speak, so I focused again.

"Yeah, it's pretty slow at the moment. But, I've heard some information about some future plans from the admins. The best part is that they didn't even know I was there!" I heard Abby say with a grin. The other two grunts gasped.

"No way!" one said, "Tell us!" I frowned and slammed my hand on the button that activated the speaker system throughout the entire base. Putting on a sweet sounding voice I spoke.

"Would Abby Shaw and Josh Burns please report to my office? I repeat, would Abby Shaw and Josh Burns please report to my office. It is important. That is all." I leaned back in my chair and grabbed for the black mask on my desk. I then decided to reach over and press another button that signaled for the administrators in the building, and within a minute the two of them appeared.

"Drew, Trinity, how nice of you to arrive in a timely manner," I greeted. The two of them bowed respectfully and sat down in front of my desk.

"Do you need something of us, Boss?" Trinity asked. I smiled beneath my mask.

"You'll be meeting two people in a minute, that is all. Now we must wait," I answered.

Another minute passed, and finally Abby and Josh stepped through the door to my office. The two were shocked to see Trinity and Drew present and glanced at each other.

"Now, now, no need to be alarmed," I said sweetly, "Just close the door and lock it, if you will." Abby took a seat while Josh closed the door behind him and locked it. Then he, too, sat down. I turned my attention to Abby.

"Abby, are you enjoying your time in Deivis?" I inquired. The nervous grunt nodded quickly.

"Good, good. Now, you know that I try to be as nice as I can, correct?" Another nod. I cleared my throat.

"I'm glad that you know that. But, there are times where I am not so nice. No one is perfect, after all. Do you know what annoys me, Abby?" I questioned, not fully expecting an answer.

"Y-you don't like it w-when people undermine your authority or break t-the rules…?" she stammered. I was surprised.

"You would be correct. Now, at the moment I am not happy. I am not happy because someone has attempted to undermine my authority. Abby, I made it very clear never to discuss staff business, did I not?" I spat, beginning to get angry. The shocked grunt moved her chair back and nodded.

"Of course, Boss! I would never do something like that! N-No, never! I-I-I would nev-!" She was cut off by a loud noise, namely the sound of a bullet going through her chest. I sighed and placed the pistol back in the drawer of my desk.

"Some people don't know how to listen, do they?" I said while looking at Josh. The grunt remained silent in mortal terror, but managed to shake his head in agreement.

"Now, Josh, I can assure you that I will do you no harm, unless you cross the line, of course. In fact, I have great plans for you! You've been a faithful member of Deivis for the past year, and I appreciate your hard work. I'm giving you the rank of admin." Josh opened his mouth to speak, but I raised my hand.

"No need to thank me. The first thing you can do is help Drew and Trinity clean up the body. I expect to see you three at the meeting in four hours. Until then!" I said abruptly. I turned my chair back around to face the screens as the admins began their work.

**X-X-X-X**

**3****rd**** Person POV**

Tristan grinned as Skiddo's Razor Leaf tore through another large rock with ease. The teen knelt next to the grass goat and patted it on the head.

"You're doing a great job, Skiddo! Your attacks have gotten a lot stronger and a lot faster! If you want to take on one of the others now, you can," Tristan said with praise.

The small grass goat turned his attention to the normal type rabbit and the water type frog, who were still sparring after an entire hour. The small creature watched the two carefully, trying to decide who his opponent would be. Skiddo watched as the two Pokémon exchanged attacks. Bunnelby would slam into Frogadier with high speed Quick Attacks, and Frogadier would do the same.

Suddenly, Bunnelby stopped the fight and leapt back. Frogadier stopped in confusion and tilted his head to the side. Bunnelby opted not to respond, but was enveloped in a bright white light. The normal type grew much taller and wider, and his ears extended until they hung by his side and formed fists, which seemed to be covered in dirt. Around its waist was a "belt" of brown and yellow fur. The newly evolved Pokémon punched its fists together and shouted out confidently. Tristan was in shock.

"Holy crap! Bunnelby, you evolved!" the fifteen-year-old managed to say as he fumbled for his Pokédex. Upon retrieving the electronic device, Tristan scanned his new Pokémon. It spoke in a metallic voice.

"Diggersby, the Digging Pokémon, with their powerful ears, they can heft boulders of a ton or more with ease. They can be a big help at construction sites." Tristan pocketed his Pokédex and grinned widely.

"Man! That's so cool that you evolved into a Diggersby! You've got to be incredibly strong my this point!" Tristan exclaimed. The normal and ground type grinned and threw his fist-like ears into the air. Tristan was about to say more when he felt something nudge him. The awed trainer looked down to see Skiddo nudging him and pointing at Diggersby with a look of determination.

"You want to battle Diggersby?" Tristan assumed. The grass type nodded strongly. Tristan looked up the see Diggersby cracking his knuckles and nodding. The trainer sighed.

"Alright, if you insist. To make it fair, I won't give any of you commands. So, let the battle between Diggersby and Skiddo begin!" shouted Tristan.

Diggersby dashed at Skiddo as soon as Tristan said begin and checked the surprised goat, who was sent rolling across the ground from Diggersby's Quick Attack. Skiddo hopped up immediately and shook himself off, still determined. Suddenly the goat fired several spinning leaves from his back. Diggersby chuckled as he swatted the leaves away and shoved his fist-like ear into the ground. The rabbit picked up some hardened mud and threw it with all of his might at Skiddo, who was hit directly in the head by it. Skiddo stumbled and fell to the ground on account of the powerful attack, and Diggersby had no intention of giving the arrogant Pokémon a chance to stand. After speeding over with Quick Attack, the rabbit leapt up with glowing feet and drop kicked the grounded grass type. Skiddo was forcefully rocketed into a nearby boulder and fell to the ground with a cry of pain. Diggersby nodded folded his arms, signaling that the battle was over.

Tristan rushed over to the bruised grass type and knelt next to him. The teen carefully cradled Skiddo in his arms with a sympathetic smile.

"Don't worry, Skiddo, you did fine. Now, rest for me, okay?" Tristan muttered. Skiddo rolled his eyes, but obeyed nonetheless. The teen sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Frogadier, get a potion from my bag, okay?" Tristan instructed. The ninja frog nodded and began to rummage through his trainer's back. After a minute of searching, Frogadier finished his search with a shrug. Tristan's eyes widened.

"What do you mean there's no more potions? I bought some just this morning!" shouted the teen. Frogadier looked at the ground guiltily. Tristan sighed.

"So you two used the during your training, huh? Fair enough. Look, it's not your fault. I knew I should've bought more. Ugh, this is the worst. Hang in there, Skiddo…" Tristan gently laid the damaged grass type on a soft patch of grass and returned his other two Pokémon. He hurriedly turned around and picked up his backpack, and then turned around to pick Skiddo up again. Tristan fell backwards in shock when he was met face to face with a large pink blob. The Pokémon was egg-like in appearance and had a pouch in the front of its body. It smiled and waved its two stubby arms at the shocked trainer.

"Is that a Chansey? Here of all places?" Tristan whispered. Chansey then turned to face Skiddo and began to glow a light green. The energy then flowed from Chansey's body to Skiddo's. Tristan could only sit in shock. Suddenly, the injured goat jumped up and ran around, seemingly unharmed. Tristan's jaw dropped as the random Chansey wobbled around with the small creature.

"Chansey, thank you so much! I can't believe that you happened to show up just now! Seriously, thank you," Tristan thanked with sincerity. Skiddo, too, smiled at the pink blob, who cheered. Tristan then returned Skiddo and readjusted his backpack strap.

"Hey, thanks for healing Skiddo. I owe you, big time. Well, I've got to go now. Thanks for everything!" Tristan said with a wave. Chansey waved after him as he continued down the path. Tristan smiled to himself. _You know what? Today was a good day…_

The teen's thoughts were interrupted, however, when he felt pressure near his hip. Suddenly there was a white flash, and then silence. The startled trainer turned around, only to see nothing. Not even a Chansey. The teen plucked a Poké Ball from his belt and stared at it. _Did that just happen? Sweet!_

**X-X-X-X**

**Wooo! Random ending! :D Yeah, it was kinda random, I know. So, a lot happened this chapter. Josh became an admin for Deivis after his partner in crime Abby made an error, which is crazy. Then, Tristan trains Skiddo, watches Bunnelby evolve, and then unexpectedly catches a Chansey of all things. That means that he has a team of four Pokémon. Wow.**

**So, before I go on to list the levels of Tristan's Pokémon, I have a question. I'm just curious to see if anyone looks up what the titles mean, since they're Latin (and yes, this title is actually Latin). If you do, you get an Internet cookie. :) Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed this random chapter full of important events! The next chapter should come fairly soon.**

_Tristan's Team:_

_Skiddo – Level 20 – Vine Whip, Synthesis, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed_

_Chansey – Level 20 – Wish, Seismic Toss, Protect, Healing Wish_

_Diggersby – Level 21 – Quick Attack, Take Down, Double Kick, Mud Shot_

_Frogadier – Level 22 – Water Pulse, Lick, Smokescreen, Quick Attack_


	11. Chapter 11 - Pugno

**Hello! How are you all doing? I hope that you've enjoyed the story so far. And hopefully it will only get better from here! So, before you start to read Chapter 11, let me address a review or two.**

** ElTorro – Yeah, Tristan's team is interesting. He'll make changes to the team that you may not expect, and it will be fun for me to see what the reactions will be to certain changes. Also, you would be correct in saying that Chansey is not the best in terms of offensive capability, but she will be a very key member of the team. Finally, Bunnelby did evolve into Diggersby, which is awesome as you said. I have to say, though, I really don't have an issue with its design. Thanks for the review!**

**So, now we move on to Chapter 11, which will be an important time. Why? Read on!**

**Chapter 11 – Pugno**

Tristan sat up groggily and rubbed his eyes. The yawning teen glanced at the clock by the bed he was occupying and, seeing that the time was around seven-o-clock, decided to slowly stand up and move about. The fifteen-year-old young man began to change out of his pajamas in order to prepare for the day. _Speaking of today… _the teen thought as he finished getting dressed. Tristan reached for the Poké Balls that were sitting on the bed and took two of them in hand. With a toss, Chansey and Skiddo materialized before him. The two teammates all looked at their trainer expectantly.

"Alright, you two, today is the day where we go for our second gym badge. Are you both ready?" Tristan inquired with a smile. They cheered, earning a laugh from their trainer.

"Good, good," Tristan chuckled, "So, if you all don't mind, we'll head straight for the gym as soon as we leave the Pokémon Center, okay?" The sentence garnered his team's approval, and they all nodded approvingly before being zapped into their portable homes. Tristan then placed the two Poké Balls back on his belt and then put the belt on; he was ready to go. After picking up the room and making the bed as neat as he could, Tristan almost sprinted through the Pokémon Center's lobby and out the door. As he exited the red roofed building, the teen slowed his pace in order to gather his self before the impending battle.

_This city, Cyllage I think it is, is a pretty cool city! It's on the ocean and they've got these cool mountains and cliffs around. And, if I recall correctly, the gym is up on one of these cliffs, _Tristan thought absently. The ecstatic trainer began to pick up the pace as he neared the path that led to the gym, and his thoughts began to drift towards the upcoming battle.

_I still wonder why Chansey was so adamant about battling. I literally caught her yesterday, and we haven't gotten THAT much training in. All I can ask for is that she tries her best. And let's hope that Skiddo's arrogance doesn't get the best of him… _The trainer cut off his thoughts in order to open the door before him. Tristan stepped inside the gym and gasped at how large the interior of the deceptively small building was. It was a large closed dome of sorts with a dirt floor. But, something that stood out to him was the large tower before him. Colorful shapes were attached to the outside of the tower, and they led to the top. The boy inside Tristan grinned; it was a rock wall. At the top stood a dark skinned man with dark hair and a climber's outfit. He called down to Tristan with a smile.

"If you want to challenge me, you'll have to get up here first! Good luck!" the gym leader challenged. Tristan grinned and nodded, making his way towards the rock wall in seconds. It didn't take him long to climb the tower, as he was fueled by his excitement. As Tristan planted his feet on the top platform, the gym leader extended his hand.

"I'm surprised to see that you climbed this so quickly. Anyway, welcome to the Cyllage Gym! The name's Grant," Grant said congenially. Tristan smiled and took the proffered hand.

"Thanks. The name's Tristan," Tristan replied. Grant nodded and took many steps back with a Poké Ball in hand.

"Well then, Tristan, show me what you're made of in this two-on-two fight! Go, Amaura!" Grant shouted. On the gym leader's side of the field appeared a miniature, blue, long-necked dinosaur-like creature with two bright sails on its head. Tristan's smiled faltered slightly. He had absolutely no clue what this thing could do. _Oh well, _he thought, _I'll do my best either way!_

"Alright, Chansey, you're up!" Tristan called. The pink blob materialized on Tristan's side, causing his opponent to raise an eyebrow. _An interesting choice, _Grant thought with a hint of skepticism, _I can't assume victory, though. _

"Alright, Amaura, begin with Aurora Beam!" Grant shouted. Suddenly, the long-necked creature fired a multicolored laser from its mouth that was surprisingly quick.

"Chansey, Protect!" Tristan ordered hurriedly. On cue, the cheerful Pokémon erected a green barrier and blocked the icy attack.

"Now, Wish!" Tristan continued, hoping to obtain momentum. Chansey obediently performed the move, and Tristan watched a green ball of energy float away from Chansey's body and dissipate into thin air. Grant frowned at the strategic move.

"Amaura, another Aurora Beam at the floor!" the blue dinosaur loosed another beam of icy energy towards the ground and began to slide along the ice.

"Now ram Chansey with Take Down!" Grant continued. Amaura began to pick up speed as she sped along the ice surrounded with white streaks of light and rammed into Chansey with brutal force. The pink blob was sent bouncing across the floor as it cried out in pain, as did Amaura who suffered from recoil.

"Are you alright, Chansey?" Tristan called out in concern. Despite taking the attack head on, Chansey stood up with no problem and cheered like its usual self as a green light enveloped its body. Tristan grinned. _Wish sure is helping out. Now, let's go on the offense!_

"Chansey, charge Amaura!" Tristan barked. Grant was visibly surprised. _Chansey's not an offensive Pokémon! What is he doing? _Grant mused with bewilderment.

As the healer came closer, Amaura began to glow the color of the ground on Grant's command. Suddenly, a wave of rocks appeared in midair and bombarded the unsuspecting normal type. Chansey was sent skidding back by the unforeseen Rock Tomb, but managed to shake off the damage. Both Pokémon as well as the trainers stared at each other. Both sides were still fairly unharmed. The battle could go anywhere at this point.

"Rock Tomb again, Amaura!" called Grant. Again the wave of stones was hurled towards the normal type, but Chansey easily blocked the attack with another Protect. Grant desperately called for another Take Down, which caught Tristan and Chansey off guard. Thinking quickly, Tristan issued a hasty command.

"Seismic Toss!" the fifteen-year-old screamed. Chansey picked up Amaura with its stubby arms and leapt into the air. After a spin or two, the pink blob slammed its prehistoric opponent to the ground. Amaura attempted to pick itself off of the ground, but discovered that one of its feet was injured. The weakened Pokémon flopped back to the ground in pain. A sigh escaped Grant's lips.

"Can you stand, Amaura?" he asked quietly. The blue-eyed Pokémon looked back at her trainer and shook its head sadly.

"I see. Thank you, Amaura, you did great as always. Truly, you did," Grant whispered as he returned his injured team member. Tristan watched on with a feeling of guilt.

"I feel bad," the trainer thought aloud. Grant shrugged.

"It happens, trust me. I've lost a few matches because of stuff like this, and I've had challengers lose because of the same thing. When it does occur, you'll feel bad every time. But, let's continue, shall we? Tyrunt, it's up to you!" Before Grant appeared a small Tyrannosaurus Rex with a large jaw and short arms like Chansey. The Pokémon stomped its foot in an attempt to appear menacing, but Chansey smiled and waved obliviously. Tristan chuckled.

"Alright, Chansey, rush in with Protect!" Tristan instructed. As Chansey ran towards the dinosaur before her with her protective barrier, Grant called for a Rock Tomb. On Tristan's command, Chansey dropped the screen and leapt into the air. The normal type grabbed a rock and chucked it towards Tyrunt. The prehistoric predator stumbled backwards from the force of its own attack, and Chansey rushed in yet again.

"Seismic Toss again!" The pink blob reached out in an attempt to grasp her opponent, but shrieked as her arm was caught between Tyrunt's jaws. Chansey tried to pull free desperately, but the rock type's maw clamped down harder.

"Now throw Chansey and use Stomp!" Grant commanded. Chansey was thrown into the air like a ragdoll, and Tyrunt capitalized on the opportunity. The dinosaur leapt into the air with a glowing white foot and connected forcefully with Chansey's head, propelling the pink blob towards the floor of the battlefield. The dust finally settled from the brutal attack, and Chansey was revealed to have fainted. _Wow, this Tyrunt must be on another level compared to Amaura. I wouldn't expect any of my Pokémon to take attacks like that for too long… _thought the teen as he returned Chansey. Tristan grabbed for his last Poké Ball.

"Skiddo, let's do this!" The grass type goat appeared in a flash of light and grinned in excitement at the challenge presented to it. Grant nodded. _A good choice type-wise, _Grant opined silently, _but type's not everything._

"Alright, Tyrunt, begin with Rock Tomb!" The prehistoric Pokémon loosed another volley of rocks at Skiddo, but the attack was easily dodged.

"Respond with Razor Leaf!" Tristan shouted. Skiddo obediently shot the sharp leaves from his back and watched with joy as they all connected with Tyrunt's body. Skiddo charged forward confidently at Tristan's command, only to be stopped when a rock skimmed his face. The confident creature stumbled and fell as his balance was offset. Skiddo wheezed at the sudden pressure brought by Tyrunt's foot on his stomach, and the grass goat began to struggle violently.

"Skiddo, throw him off with Vine Whip!" Grant and Tyrunt were both shocked when two slender vines wrapped around Tyrunt's ankle and swung him around before slamming the dinosaur to the ground. Skiddo hopped up eagerly to separate his self from the dirty gym floor and then shook his body to rid his coat of dirt. On the other side of the battlefield, Tyrunt gingerly stood up with slightly heavy breathing. Skiddo, too, was breathing heavily.

"This is it, Tyrunt!" Grant shouted, "End this with Rock Kick!" Tristan and Skiddo panicked.

"Is that even a move?!"Tristan mumbled in confusion. Almost as if answering his question, Tyrunt began to surround his body with levitating rocks. Without warning, the strong-jawed creature hopped up and spun, kicking all five of the floating rocks at Skiddo.

"Dodge!" Tristan cried frantically. The grass type easily rolled out of the way of the first few, but was clipped once again by the last one. Skiddo stumbled around weakly; the damage was beginning to catch up to him.

"Good job, Tyrunt. Now, finish this match with Bite!" Grant instructed. The rock type bared its sharp teeth as they began to glow and expand and raced towards its weakened prey.

"Can you move, Skiddo?" Tristan asked in concern. The small creature shook its head. _He's so close! _Tristan thought. Grant's Tyrunt was now within feet of Skiddo, and a mixture of fear and disappointment at its inability to do anything overcame the Pokémon. Suddenly, Tristan called out to Skiddo.

"Bulldoze!" In a flash, Skiddo rammed his two front hooves on the ground and a pillar of dirt shot up. The pillar connected with Tyrunt's jaw, and the super effective attack forced the rock type into the air. Tyrunt landed moments later with a thud. Grant and Tristan were both silent. Finally, Grant returned Tyrunt. Tristan cheered and hugged Skiddo before returning him, and then walked over to Grant. Despite the loss, Grant smiled and extended his hand, which Tristan shook.

"I must say, this was probably one of the most interesting battles that I've had in a while. Never have I seen someone bring a Chansey into this gym, and never have I seen gym battle as random as this one. Were you making stuff up as you went?" Grant inquired. Tristan rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"To be honest, yes. I didn't have a plan. I just knew that Skiddo had a general type advantage, and that Chansey really wanted to participate. I should've been more prepared, but oh well." Grant chuckled at this.

"Well, you ended up winning, so it looks like your unorthodox style worked this time. With that, I give to you the Cliff Badge. Tristan took the badge in hand and examined the small metal object. It was like a miniature stairway made of brown rectangles. Perhaps it was supposed to resemble a rock wall. Choosing to figure that out later, Tristan placed the badge in his badge case and shook Grant's hand again.

"Thanks for the battle, Grant," Tristan mentioned. The gym leader smiled.

"No problem! Good luck in your future endeavors! Oh, and by the way, the elevator down is to your right," Grant said while pointing. Tristan glanced to the side to see that the elevator was, in fact, there. The ecstatic trainer thanked Grant again and waved as the elevator door opened, and down he went. Grant then nodded and removed a phone from his pocket.

"Hey, it's Grant. Tristan just beat me and got his second badge. Yeah, he can be a bit unorthodox, but I think he has what it takes. Grant out."

**X-X-X-X**

**Such chapter, so amaze, wow! I hope you all enjoyed this gym battle chapter. Tristan managed to beat Grant despite being unprepared and having a weird team selection (Chansey). But hey, he got the badge! And then at the end we see Grant doing the same thing that Viola did. What's going on, dang it? :I**

**Anyway, I hope everyone who's reading this has enjoyed. Feel free to review the story and give me your honest opinion. Until then!**

**-Shadow**

_Tristan's Team:_

_Chansey – Level 26 – Healing Wish, Seismic Toss, Protect, Wish_

_Skiddo – Level 26 – Bulldoze, Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Synthesis_

_Frogadier – Level 25 – Water Pulse, Round, Quick Attack, Lick_

_Diggersby – Level 25 – Double Kick, Quick Attack, Mud Shot, Take Down_


	12. Chapter 12 - Scintilla

**It's time for another chapter. Aww yeah! Once again, I hope those reading are enjoying the story. We'll begin chapter 12 shortly!**

** ElTorro – Yeah, Chansey's pretty great. In the games it has a ridiculous amount of HP, which is awesome. Anyway, to address your question: I actually said this in a very early chapter, but Tristan will catch a total of seven Pokémon. He will not release any of them. Well, thanks for the review!**

**So, let's head into chapter 12, the chapter after Tristan won his second badge! What does his journey have in store for him? Well, we'll have to see!**

**Chapter 12 – Scintilla**

The sun shone brightly on the grassy path below as white clouds passed by overhead. A soft breeze blessed anyone who was outside at the time. Tristan sat beneath a tree and was taking in the surrounding scenery; today seemed like it was going to be a good day. The teen grinned and looked over at his Pokémon who were goofing off in some patches of tall grass several yards away. The teen began to ruminate about his journey so far. Overall he found it to be quite an awesome one.

_Except for that encounter with Josh… _Tristan thought with a frown. The Kalosian shook his head. It would be better not to think of that now, he decided. In an attempt to drag his mind away from that event, Tristan called out to his team. The teen was greeted by happy cries overall and grinned in response as his Pokémon halted in front of him.

"Hey guys, we're going to leave really soon. But before we do, I'd just like to say that we now have two gym badges thanks to Skiddo and Chansey. You two did amazingly, so thank you," Tristan praised. Skiddo stuck his chest out arrogantly and smirked as the rest of the team congratulated him, while Chansey simply smiled and patted the grass type on the back. Tristan nodded.

"Pretty awesome, right? Anyway, it's time to be going. We've already made it this far up Route 10; let's keep heading towards Geosenge Town." The idea earned cries of eagerness from Frogadier and Diggersby, both of whom were eager to battle someone or something again. Tristan reached for some Poké Balls and returned his team, and then lifted his bag onto his back. _Time to get going!_

**X-X-X-X**

Blade yawned and threw his arms into the air in order to stretch. _My schedule is not treating me well… _the dark haired teen thought to his self. Blade rubbed his grayish-black eyes and continued to walk down the hallway with his trusted companion by his side.

"So," Blade began quietly, "What do you think has been planned for us today, Bisharp?" The fairly tall dark type shrugged and sharpened its bladed hands against each other. The two continued walking in silence down the empty hallways, but eventually turned left into a room at the end. Blade returned Bisharp and approached the desk before him. Someone sat in the chair behind the desk, though they did not face the teen.

"You called for me?" the teen inquired. The human in the chair answered with a grunt.

"Yes, I did. If you don't mind, I'd like you to go check up on that kid. Tristan, was it? Yes, that was it. Anyway, he should be approaching Geosenge Town or something like that, so I'd like you to be there," was the reply. Blade nodded.

"Will do," he said briefly. The dark haired trainer then turned and exited the room quickly. After several minutes of walking down multiple hallways, Blade reached the exterior of the building. The teen reached for a Poké Ball and tossed it, revealing a large metal bird with strange wings.

"Hello again, Skarmory," Blade said as he patted the steel type on the head. The metal bird smiled at the attention and crouched down, allowing its trainer to hop onto its back. Blade nodded.

"We're off to Geosenge, then."

**X-X-X-X**

Tristan whistled a tune as he walked further down Route 10. All was fairly quiet despite it being midday. The teen continued to walk as he observed his surroundings. The route had copious amounts of grass and was lined with trees on both sides, and Tristan could see and hear various Pokémon crying cheerfully as they ran through the tall grass. The teen smiled at the peaceful environment and continued to walk forward. After a few more minutes of walking, the trainer encountered massive stones stuck in the ground that towered above the trees. The fifteen-year-old looked up in awe.

"Wow…" Tristan murmured, "How is this even a thing?" Tristan approached the gargantuan rock before him and placed a hand on it in curiosity before rapping it with his knuckles. The teen nodded.

"That's pretty dang cool," he concluded. Tristan started to walk around the gigantic stone when he heard a lot of rustling in the grass behind him. The trainer instinctively turned around and was greeted by a blur rushing at him and tackling him. Tristan was shoved onto his back and shouted in surprise, but was confused when water fell onto his face. The perplexed trainer gazed upward and found a small, green dog-like creature sitting on his chest with its tongue sticking out. Despite being put off by the animal's drooling, Tristan reached for his Pokédex, which began speaking robotically.

"Electrike, the Lightning Pokémon. It stores static electricity in its fur for discharging. It gives off sparks if a storm approaches." The wild Electrike yipped happily and hopped off of Tristan's chest as the teen began to sit up. The teen chuckled as the canine began to bark and run circles around the large rocks nearby. Electrike seemed to be in its own little world, so Tristan began walking towards the town ahead, but was stopped by the electric type's return. The playful creature rested its front two paws on Tristan's leg and began to yip incessantly. The blue-eyed trainer raised an eyebrow in confusion. He could only come to one conclusion, so he reached for a Poké Ball and held the spherical device in his hand. Seeing the red and white object, Electrike perked up and began frantically nodding. Tristan glanced at the Poké Ball in his hand and then back at the playful hound before him. Shrugging, the teen tossed the ball into the air.

The spherical device opened and sucked Electrike in with a flash and then plummeted to the ground. After wiggling three times, the ball ceased its movement. Tristan smiled as he knelt down to pick the Poké Ball up. _That's probably the weirdest capture I've had so far, _the teen concluded silently, _but I must say that I'm glad that my team is coming together so nicely. They've all worked so hard, and I hope this energetic guy is no exception._ Still smiling to his self, Tristan began to stroll past the colossal stones and on towards Geosenge Town.

**X-X-X-X**

The person in the chair brought their hand to their face as they yawned. Things had been relatively boring, except for her sending someone out on a mission a few hours ago. They began to examine some ideas in their head before nodding as if they had decided. They swiveled in their chair and reached for a button on their desk that signaled the admins.

"Josh, Drew, come into my office ASAP. That is all." Soon after, the aforementioned admins strolled into the office and sat down expectantly in front of the desk.

"Yes, Boss?" Drew inquired. The person behind the desk adjusted their mask and sat up straight, and then cleared their throat.

"Well, Drew, I called you here to ask you to check up on the progress of our future… operation. Yes, that one," they said secretively. Despite the vague terminology, Drew's eyes widened slightly and the admin nodded slowly. The person with the black mask then turned to Josh, who was slightly confused.

"As for you, Josh, I'm just giving you a heads up. Some time in the next month I will be sending you to Coumarine City for a very important operation. I'm still debating whether or not to give you a partner, but when I decide I'll alert you. Well, gentlemen, that will be all. Dismissed." The two admins stood up and departed with a bow, and then closed the door to their office. The leader sighed and stretched their arms, and then began to smile to their self. _My plans are slowly but surely coming to fruition._

**X-X-X-X**

Tristan thanked Nurse Joy as he placed five Poké Balls back on his belt. With a wave and a smile the teen departed the Pokémon Center. The trainer observed Geosenge Town with a sense of approval; it looked like a nice place in his opinion. Tristan began to walk around the peaceful town and looked up at the sky. Based on the way that the sun was positioned, the teen judged that it was perhaps one in the afternoon. At this Tristan cheered mentally, as he could still have time to head down the route that lead to the next city. It was then that the trainer decided to do just that, and began to exit the quaint town that he was in. That is, until he was stopped by someone that said his name.

"Well, well, fancy seeing you here, Tristan!" Tristan spun on his heel and came face to face with a person about his age with black hair and grayish-black eyes. Tristan smirked.

"Oh! Hey, Blade, what's up?" Tristan quizzed. The dark haired trainer shrugged nonchalantly.

"Not much. My journey's been pretty casual. I've been collecting badges and battling some strong trainers," Blade responded while rubbing his eyes, "You?"

"I've been putting together an awesome team and gathering gym badges as well. So far I've got two. How are you doing in your badge hunt, by the way?" Blade rubbed the back of his head and chuckled at the question.

"I currently have four badges," the dark-eyed teen stated. Tristan raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"So why are you back here?" Tristan probed. Blade shrugged.

"I've been moving pretty quickly this journey, so I decided to come back and do a bit of sight-seeing. I am pretty ahead of schedule, after all." Blade glanced off to the side and shoved his hands into his pockets before changing the subject.

"So, now that we both happen to be here, why not have a battle? I mean, I know we've got that two badge difference and all, but it would still be fun, right?" Blade suggested. Tristan smiled and nodded vehemently.

"I thought you'd never ask! So far I have a total of five Pokémon on my team. How many do you have?"

"I have six, actually," Blade informed him, "So a five-on-five sounds good to me!" Tristan took multiple large steps back and pulled a Poké Ball off of his belt.

"Awesome! Okay, Electrike, let's begin!" Tristan shouted with a grin. Blade's hand disappeared into the inside of his jacket and returned with a Poké Ball in hand. The black haired teen tacitly released a somewhat tall Pokémon that was black and red. It had a large blade on its head and had circular blades all around its torso. The Pokémon swung its bladed hands around menacingly and assumed a fighting stance. The battle was about to go down.

"Tristan, meet Bisharp, the evolved Pawniard!"

**X-X-X-X**

**Okay! This chapter is finished! I hope that those reading can forgive me for taking so long, though. :D**

**Anyway, this chapter Tristan caught an Electrike that seemed more than happy to tag along, and then ran into Blade by **_**total **_**coincidence. Now, as the two begin to fight, Tristan finds his newly caught friend pitted up against the evolved form of what kicked his butt last time! Will he find a way to beat Bisharp and the rest of Blade's team? (Feel free to answer this rhetorical question).**

**Also, give me your opinion on Tristan's team. Do you find it unique and/or interesting? And finally, what's your opinion on Blade? I've purposely not gone into who he is, etc. so you can make assumptions and form opinions based on what little you know, and then possibly change them as the story progresses. Feel free to tell me what you think!**

**Now that this long-ish author's note it coming to a close, I would once again like to thank those of you who read and review, or the rare silent reader that says nothing. Whoever you are, thanks. :)**

_Tristan's Team_

_Frogadier – Level 26 – Water Pulse, Lick, Quick Attack, Round_

_Chansey – Level 26 – Wish, Protect, Healing Wish, Seismic Toss_

_Skiddo – Level 26 – Bulldoze, Razor Leaf, Vine Whip, Synthesis_

_Diggersby – Level 26 – Mud Shot, Quick Attack, Double Kick, Take Down_

_Electrike – Level 25 – Thunder Fang, Thunder Wave, Bite, Quick Attack_


	13. Chapter 13 - Perdidit

**Wooo~! It's another chapter! This chapter will feature a battle between Blade and Tristan, if you didn't figure that out. I'll let you all see that soon. But first, address stuff and things.**

** ElTorro – You feel like an idiot for not seeing what? XD Anyway, I'm glad that you liked the chapter! Yes, Josh will be going on a mission some time soon. If he does run into Tristan, and I'm not saying he will, something big(?) will go down. And you would be correct in saying that Bisharp will be hard to deal with. Will Tristan win? You'll have to see. Thanks for the review!**

**So, the chapter is about to begin. Blade's Bisharp vs. Tristan's Electrike will be the first battle. Are you all excited? I hope so. Let the battle commence!**

**Chapter 13 – Perdidit**

Blade's Bisharp glared menacingly at the small canine before him, and the latter let out a whimper and took a step back. Blade and his steel type friend chuckled at this.

"Hey, Electrike, just try your best, okay? We're gonna have fun battling, deal?" Tristan said soothingly. The lightning dog smiled for a brief moment but still remained unnerved by the fully evolved Pokémon before him. Tristan's attention was drawn from his Pokémon when Blade piped up.

"You can have the first move, Tristan," Blade offered. The brown haired teen grinned in excitement and began to battle almost immediately.

"Close in with Quick Attack, Electrike!" The green hound howled and zipped forward as white streaks trailed behind him, eventually leaping up towards his opponent's face. Bisharp quickly bent his back and performed a limbo-type move in order to dodge its speedy adversary, but was thrown to the ground when Electrike rammed him from behind. The energetic canine yipped happily and scampered to Tristan's sighed, wagging his tail in the process.

"Knock Off!" Tristan gasped as Bisharp pushed himself off of the ground and suddenly appeared right next to Electrike. The sentient chess piece slammed his glowing, bladed hand onto Electrike's back and forced the canine into a small crater. Bisharp tacitly backpedaled away from the energetic hound's quiescent form and folded his arms. Tristan's jaw dropped upon seeing Electrike unconscious at the bottom of the miniature crater and held up a Poké Ball in response.

"Return," the teen mumbled quietly. Tristan adjusted his glasses nervously and pocketed Electrike's Poké Ball. He knew that Blade had a strong Pokémon, but he never expected it to knock out something in one hit. The teen shook his head violently in an attempt to focus. After gathering his thoughts and ruminating further on the situation, the teen reached for another Poké Ball.

"Chansey, let's do this!" The pink blob appeared before her trainer with a broad smile and a wave at her opponent, who waved back with a chuckle at the normal type's friendliness. _Hmm. So he has a Chansey, an Electrike, and a Froakie that's probably evolved… Quite an interesting team, Tristan. _Blade was yanked from his thoughts when Tristan issued a command.

"Run towards Bisharp, Chansey!" Tristan called out confidently. The normal type followed her trainer's command instantaneously and began her death charge towards the menacing steel type. Blade and Bisharp stood in their places while being slightly perplexed. He wouldn't do this unless he had a plan, right? Blade shrugged.

"Meet Chansey with Iron Head, Bisharp!" The chess piece began to rush towards Chansey with his bladed head shining metallically, and he slammed his head downward with great force. The dark and steel type was shocked to see his head bounce against a solid green bubble. Bisharp stumbled backwards from having bashed his head against a solid wall of energy, allowing his normal type opponent to wrap him up in a hug. Chansey then leapt into the air and, after an over-the-top twirl, slammed Blade's Pokémon headfirst at the ground. Conveniently for Tristan, Bisharp's axe blade of a head lodged itself into the terrain, leaving the Pokémon vulnerable yet again. Chansey took the opportunity to capitalize on Bisharp's defenselessness and once again wrapped the steel type in a bear hug. Chansey rose into the air and began to flip, but Bisharp suddenly faded away and escaped Chansey's hold. A mere second later, the sentient chess piece reappeared behind the airborne normal type. Chansey screamed as Bisharp dug its purple, energy-packed, bladed fist into its back. Chansey was sent hurtling towards the ground and landed with a loud smack. Tristan winced at the sound and, knowing that Chansey would not get back up, recalled the normal type.

Tristan grunted in mild frustration. _Two of my Pokémon are already down, and his Bisharp doesn't seem to be tired in the slightest! How is he this strong? Ugh, no matter. I'll just do the best that I can and, as corny as it sounds, believe that my Pokémon will pull through. _Tristan ran a hand through his brown locks and sighed.

"Skiddo, you're up!" After the flash from the Poké Ball faded, Skiddo stood face to face with his much larger opponent. The grass type eyed his adversary silently and, deeming him to be a worthy foe, crouched down to prepare for battle. Bisharp beckoned the grass goat mockingly with his bladed hand, causing small creature to stomp his front hooves in irritation. Skiddo was returned to his senses when Tristan's voice rang in his ears.

"Bulldoze!" Skiddo obediently smashed his hooves into the ground, which caused the battlefield to quake. Without warning, a pillar shot up from the ground and crashed into the unsuspecting Bisharp. The super effective hit forced the steel type onto his back, but Bisharp stood back up with little effort.

"Knock Off!" Bisharp seemed to teleport at Skiddo and raised his energy-covered palm high into the air. The brutal attack crashed to the ground on account of Skiddo evading it at the last second. However, the sentient chess piece would not be denied. Bisharp began to swing his bladed hands wildly at the grass goat, and all the latter could do was dodge. Eventually Skiddo tripped over his own legs and rolled along the ground several times. Despite its efforts, Skiddo was not able to dodge the oncoming Knock Off attack, and was backhanded towards his trainer by Bisharp's dark purple fist. Tristan's eyes widened as the small creature rocketed towards him at high speeds, and all the teen could do was brace himself and catch Skiddo. Tristan felt the wind forcefully shoved out of him as Skiddo's body collided with his stomach, and the teen fell to the ground in pain. Tristan sat up groaning as he gingerly rubbed the back of his head. Blade and Bisharp were soon by his side.

"Aww crap! Dude, are you okay? I'm so sorry for that!" Blade said sincerely. Tristan inhaled deeply and then sighed. The teen grunted as he stood up.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. It surprised me, that's all," Tristan muttered while clutching his stomach. Blade looked on skeptically.

"Are you sure? We can interrupt the battle and take you to the Pokémon Center, you know," Blade said pointedly. Tristan waved him off and returned the fainted Skiddo.

"Seriously, I'm fine. I'm actually _dying _right now, but I'm okay," Tristan responded sarcastically. Blade dismissed Tristan's sarcastic remark and began to walk over to the opposite side of the battlefield.

"Whatever you say! So, ready to continue?" Blade inquired. Tristan responded with a curt nod, and then picked out another Poké Ball.

"Diggersby, help me out!" The normal and ground type appeared with a large grin on his face and cracked his knuckles eagerly; it had been a while since he had battled, after all. Then, after a moment of silence, Tristan and Diggersby sprang into action.

"Quick Attack!" Despite his large body size, Diggersby closed in on Bisharp quite quickly. Bisharp had no time to react and was checked by the rabbit's large body. Bisharp was sent skidding back and managed to keep his balance, but was launched backwards by a powerful drop kick from Diggersby.

"Nice Double Kick, Diggersby!" Tristan praised. The hare grinned and flashed his trainer a thumbs up before focusing on the battle. On the other side of the field Bisharp began to stand up, and Tristan noticed that it was slower in doing so compared to before. Tristan grinned ecstatically. _Diggersby has always been one of my stronger team members… It's only because I've been able to train with him longer than the others, though. Still, Diggersby is doing well so far, _Tristan thought. Soon, however, the teen regretted his lack of focus.

"Iron Head!" Tristan looked up just in time to see Bisharp's bladed head careen towards Diggersby, and the latter barely managed to catch it with both of his hand-like ears. Diggersby grunted as he tried to push back the powerful attack, but Bisharp was slowly gaining ground. It was then that Tristan had an idea.

"Double Kick!" the blue-eyed teen screamed hurriedly. Diggersby hopped up in an instant and slammed his two glowing feet into Bisharp's torso yet again. The sentient chess piece rolled along the ground rapidly from the force of the attack and just barely managed to stop itself from moving further. Bisharp stood up while breathing heavily, causing Tristan to smirk.

"Keep it up, Diggersby! Mud Shot!" Tristan instructed. As Diggersby was forming the ball of mud between his hands, Bisharp zipped over and dug his hand into Diggersby's side; it was another Sucker Punch. The normal type hunched over in pain and fell face first to the ground, and Bisharp took the time to gloat momentarily. However, the menacing dark type instantly felt remorse for the decision when he felt Diggersby's large hand-like ears club him. Bisharp stumbled backwards and felt another blow from his opponent's fists connect with his jaw. Diggersby aimed yet another punch at Tristan's command, but this one was blocked by Bisharp's arm. The steel and dark type retaliated with a swift Knock Off to the face, and Diggersby fell to the ground with swirls for eyes. Tristan nodded and returned his fallen friend.

"Thank you, Diggersby, you were awesome. Now, Frogadier, it's all up to you!" Tristan's trusted starter appeared on the battlefield and stretched in excitement. Tristan noticed this and grinned.

"You're excited too, huh? Well, what do you say we start this off with Water Pulse!" The water type dashed towards Bisharp with a sphere of aquatic energy in his hand, but the latter dodged the powerful attack. Bisharp responded with his palm covered in dark purple energy, but Frogadier narrowly dodged it by speeding away with Quick Attack. Bisharp went on the offensive, rushing in with his bladed head harboring a shine. Frogadier extended his tongue and tripped the dark type, using the opportunity to slam a Water Pulse into Bisharp's back. The ninja frog pushed off of the ground and back towards Tristan just in time to avoid another Knock Off from Bisharp, but was knocked to the ground by Bisharp's Sucker Punch as he was charging another Water Pulse. Frogadier stood up soon after, though he had trouble doing so, and immediately summoned a screen of smoke over the battlefield. Both of the Pokémon remained still for a moment. Suddenly, Frogadier lunged forward and slammed a ball of water into Bisharp's cranium, but the dark type responded with his fist covered in spiraling purple energy. The force of the attack propelled both parties backwards, and the smoke cleared almost instantly. Frogadier and Bisharp both managed to land on their feet, but both were severely damaged, bruised, and panting heavily. After a long period of silence, both Bisharp and Frogadier fell to the ground and drifted into unconsciousness. Both Blade and Tristan returned their fallen friends and met in the center of the field.

"Wow! What a battle. Tristan, you've gotten better, and I mean it," Blade complimented. Tristan shrugged.

"It still took all five of my Pokémon to take out Bisharp, though," Tristan pointed out. Blade chuckled and shook his head.

"Bisharp is incredibly strong though. Seriously, he's ridiculously strong, and he's my first Pokémon. You're actually the first person I've battled in Kalos to ever take down Bisharp. Really, you are. You did awesome, Tristan, I swear," Blade stated adamantly. Tristan grinned.

"That's awesome. Thanks for the battle, Blade," Tristan said gratefully. Blade nodded.

"Any time! Hey, why don't we go to the Pokémon Center and continue talking there? It's a lot better than standing out here, that's for sure," the dark haired teen suggested. Tristan agreed almost immediately.

**X-X-X-X**

After they healed their team, Blade and Tristan started to speak. They had been speaking for about thirty minutes or so when Blade suddenly piped up.

"Hey, you know that your Frogadier is special, right?" Blade quizzed. Tristan pondered the dark haired trainer's words momentarily before nodding.

"Yeah, he's a shiny Pokémon, I think. Those are pretty rare. I'm lucky, I guess," Tristan acknowledged.

"But that's not all. Your Frogadier is also, uh… Dang it, what was I going to say?" Blade laughed awkwardly at his forgetfulness and continued, "Uh. I actually can't remember why your Frogadier is so cool. I'm sure someone knowledgeable will be able to tell you about it, but I can't remember. Anyway…" The grayish-black eyed trainer trailed off and dug into his bag, apparently searching for something, and Tristan began to fool around with his Pokédex. Blade yawned and rubbed his eye as he searched through his bag. As the teen took his hand away from his face he scowled and grabbed an item from his bag. Tristan looked up to see Blade with a black mask on, and was puzzled. Before the blue-eyed trainer could mention it, however, Blade spoke up.

"Sorry to do this, but I've got to go ASAP. Anyway, we had a great battle. See you later!" The teen left after those abrupt words, leaving a very puzzled Tristan sitting alone.

**X-X-X-X**

Blade sighed in frustration as he removed his mask and held up a towel. As he was doing this, Bisharp appeared from his Poké Ball. Seeing his trainer standing in front of a mirror caused the steel type to frown.

"Yeah, it's happening again, Bisharp," Blade said solemnly, "It won't be long now until…" Blade trailed off, but Bisharp understood what he meant. The teen tossed the towel away and threw his jacket on his bed, and then ran a hand through his black hair.

"We've got to contact them now, right?" Blade wondered. Seeing that his companion nodded, Blade picked up his phone and made the call.

"Everything is just as we expected so far. Yeah. Mhm. Gotcha. Are you sure you don't need me to do anything? Okay, if you wish. Thank you. Bye." Blade nodded quietly and pocketed his phone, and Bisharp would've raised an eyebrow if he had one.

"Looks like we're free to do whatever for the next few weeks unless something urgent comes up. Let's try and enjoy our time, shall we?" _After all, _Blade pondered, _it won't be long until the next step of the plan will have to be carried out._

**X-X-X-X**

**And that's a wrap! I hope you all enjoyed the very one-sided battle that Tristan had with Blade. Crazy isn't it? So, before I leave you, let me say something.**

**I never planned on saying something like this, but I've chosen to now. Trust me when I say that I hope to never say something like this again. I've noticed that there are people who follow/favorite the story, but don't review. I would really appreciate if the people that fit that category would review. As a writer I need to hear feedback on my writing or I won't know what to keep the same/change. Anyway…**

_Tristan's Team:_

_Frogadier – Level 29 – Water Pulse, Lick, Smokescreen, Quick Attack_

_Diggersby – Level 28 – Double Kick, Mud Shot, Quick Attack, Double Slap_

_Skiddo – Level 27 – Bulldoze, Razor Leaf, Vine Whip, Synthesis_

_Chansey – Level 27 – Wish, Protect, Healing Wish, Seismic Toss_

_Electrike – Level 25 – Thunder Fang, Bite, Quick Attack, Thunder Wave_

**Well, this chapter has been interesting, I would say. What else could be interesting about Frogadier? Why is Blade ridiculously powerful? Why did Blade randomly leave, and what about the conversation that he had with Bisharp and that other person? Stuff like this will be revealed later in the story, so you'll have to read to find out. So, I bid you all farewell! Hope you enjoyed!**


	14. Chapter 14 - Subdomo

**Hey! What's up guys? I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter, as well as the battle that went with it. Tristan faced a tough opponent in the form of Blade's Bisharp, and was easily defeated. Afterwards, the two began to talk, but Blade suddenly had to leave, leaving Tristan alone. So, before we dive into this chapter, let me address some reviews.**

** ElTorro – But you're correct, I've been trying to improve my vocabulary when it comes to writing, which means using words that I know (or don't) but haven't used before. And I understand when it comes to the foreshadowing thing, but I've got to do some foreshadowing now or it will be too late. One of the foreshadowing subjects will be explained soon enough, but you'll have to wait. :) Thanks for the review!**

** The Trainer of Legend – I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Hopefully as the story goes on I won't fail to do well when it comes to describing events, etc. Thanks for the review!**

** Warrior of Hope – Yes, shiny Greninja is indeed awesome. I hope you enjoy the story! Thanks for the review!**

**So, now the chapter will begin. What will Tristan do now that Blade has departed? We shall see. Read on and enjoy!**

**Chapter 14 – Subdomo**

Tristan sat up and rubbed his eyes. The yawning teen inched off of the bed slowly and walked to the foot of the bed. In the dark the trainer found it difficult to see, but managed to grab his clothes with relative ease. With another yawn, the teen walked towards the shower; today was going to be a long day.

**X-X-X-X**

Tristan grinned excitedly as he watched Skiddo and Electrike crash into each other at a frenetic pace. Frogadier, Chansey and Diggersby all cheered on the two small Pokémon from the sidelines, eager to see who would win. Skiddo checked its canine opponent and followed up with a hasty Vine Whip, but the electric type dodged. Electrike rushed at Skiddo with immense speed and clamped down on the grass type's vines as they began to retract. Skiddo cried out in pain and attempted to shake its vines free, but Electrike refused to release its hold. With one final effort, Skiddo concentrated energy into his hooves and thumped the ground with them, causing a wave of earth to shoot out in front of him. The wave careened into Electrike, and the canine was shot into the air by the super effective attack.

Chansey and the rest of the team winced as Electrike landed with a loud thud after falling from the sky at rapid pace. Skiddo puffed his chest out and smirked victoriously, but was shocked to see his energetic opponent slowly begin to stand. Electrike and Skiddo glared at each other, and then both began to glow.

Tristan's jaw dropped.

**X-X-X-X**

Tristan hopped back and forth between his two feet in excitement; he could challenge the gym as soon as his Pokémon finished healing. After waiting for around twenty minutes, the anxious teen was called to the desk by Nurse Joy. The pink haired woman smiled cheerfully and handed Tristan a tray with all five of his Poké Balls on it.

"Your Pokémon are healed and ready to go! Good luck!" said the nurse with a smile. Tristan thanked her and nodded before running out the door.

Immediately after leaving the red roofed building, Tristan took a right turn. The trainer adjusted his glasses slightly and continued to walk down the street. Tristan took another right and passed some houses with blue roofs. The teen grinned. He was getting closer and closer to Shalour City's gym, which meant that he was that much closer to his third badge. Tristan began to approach a fairly short cliff with a large area of sand at the bottom, and was in awe at what he saw. The area of sand became narrower and formed a walkway across the ocean, and the path led to a massive stone tower surrounded by walls of stone. The teen stood with his mouth agape, but vigorously shook his head. _As cool as it looks, I'm going to see it later. Gym battle time! Seriously though, Shalour is such a cool city._

Tristan continued to walk along the path and eventually made it to the gym's entrance. The teen steeled his self and then opened the door. As he stepped inside he saw a large circular platform with a spotlight shining on it. On the platform was a woman in a white and red uniform. She displayed a happy smile and light gray eyes that seemed to sparkle as she glided around on her roller skates. Noticing someone's presence, the gym leader stopped.

"Oh! Are you a challenger?" she inquired. Tristan nodded; his response was tacit. The gym leader grinned.

"Great!" she exclaimed energetically, "I'm Korrina, Shalour City's very own gym leader. You must be pretty tough to make it this far, but are you tough enough to win this time around? Anyway, let's get this three-on-three rolling, shall we?" Tristan laughed.

"I can see that you're not excited about this battle," Tristan joked sarcastically, "By the way, my name's Tristan." Korrina smirked, reached for a Poké Ball, and then tossed the spherical device into the air.

"Good to meet you, Tristan. Now, Mienfoo, the fight's begun!" After the white light from the Poké Ball faded, a small mouse like Pokémon was revealed. It was a bipedal creature that had yellow fur covering its torso and head, but red fur covering its arms and legs. Mienfoo gazed at Tristan with fiery eyes.

_Okay, if I remember correctly this thing should be a fighting type. I don't really have a type advantage, but I can at least send out a Pokémon who can match Mienfoo's fighting spirit. _Tristan exhaled in anticipation and reached for a Poké Ball wordlessly.

"Help me out, Skiddo!" The grass type landed on the battlefield and puffed its chest out confidently, making his fighting type opponent roll its eyes. Skiddo smirked and taunted Mienfoo, who shook its fist angrily. Both Korrina and Tristan shook their heads.

"You may have the first move, Tristan," Korrina offered. Tristan wasted no time in doing so, as he was more than excited to begin.

"Skiddo, start off with Bulldoze!" The grass goat emphatically stamped his front hooves and created a shockwave on the gym floor. Mienfoo watched as the attack rushed towards it and finally leapt over the oncoming pillar of dirt with grace. Korrina then snappily ordered the fighting type to use Power-Up Punch. The rodent sprinted across the battlefield with its fist surrounded in spiraling orange energy and swung at Skiddo, but the latter dodged.

"Pelt it with Razor Leaf!" Tristan shouted. Mienfoo cried out in shock as a flurry of leaves quickly overwhelmed it and forced it onto its back. Skiddo took the opportunity to activate Bulldoze again, and this time it seemed that the ground type attack would hit. To Tristan's surprise, Korrina stood silently and said nothing as the pillar of dirt created by Bulldoze raced towards her Pokémon.

"Use the attack to boost you!" Korrina cried out suddenly. At the last second Mienfoo hopped up and, using the rising pillar created by Bulldoze, rocketed itself into the air. The fighting type began to fall rapidly from the air with its fist glowing orange, and eventually clobbered Skiddo, who was unable to dodge the swift attack. The grass goat rolled along the battlefield and crashed into the wall surrounding the platform, grunting from the impact.

"Are you alright, Skiddo?" Tristan asked with concern in his voice. Skiddo stood up rather speedily and shook his body to rid his leafy coat of dust. The grass type grinned confidently and stomped the ground, causing Tristan to grin as well. The moment was short lived, however, as the gym leader issued another command.

"Hurry, use another Power-Up Punch!" Mienfoo confronted Skiddo in the blink of an eye and delivered an energy-fueled uppercut to the grass type's jaw. Much to the fighting type's surprise, however, Skiddo remained standing and blasted it with another wave of sharp leaves.

"Now, follow up with Seed Bomb!" Skiddo's coat began to shine, and suddenly three large seeds that were glowing red were propelled into the air. Korrina's eyes widened, knowing that the powerful attack may be too much for her little mouse Pokémon to handle.

"Dodge!" the gym leader screamed frantically. Mienfoo performed the command obediently and dove out of the way as the first seed exploded against the ground. The fighting type rolled away as the second explosion rang out, but panicked as the third part of the attack struck it head on with lethal force. The explosion kicked Mienfoo into the air, and the mouse landed with a thud next to its trainer. Mienfoo was unconscious after taking the brutal attack, and Korrina returned it to its Poké Ball. The gym leader took the moment to speak up.

"Man! That Skiddo of yours is one tough cookie! That Seed Bomb is a powerful one, that's for sure," the blond paused for a second to chuckle, "Now, let's continue! Machoke, the fight continues!" With a toss of the Poké Ball, a humanoid Pokémon appeared on the battlefield. It was somewhat tall and quite muscular, with blue skin, red lines on its arms, and small ridges on the top of its head. Machoke cracked its knuckles and stretched its neck before assuming a fighting stance. Tristan acknowledged the powerful looking creature by exhaling deeply. It was then that the teen glanced at Skiddo, who seemed to be extremely tired from the battle before, though it tried to not to reveal that fact.

"Are you able to continue, Skiddo?" Tristan whispered. The grass type glanced at his trainer and responded with a voice of confidence. Tristan chuckled; he had no choice but to let the overconfident Pokémon battle.

"I admire your Skiddo's bravado, but let's see how far that get's him against Machoke's power! Machoke, use Rock Tomb!" The muscular creature smashed the ground with his fist and then used the debris from the attack as his ammo. The volley of rocks sailed at Skiddo, who responded with Seed Bomb upon Tristan's instruction. Skiddo's attack met Machoke's attack head on and exploded midair, causing smoke to cover the battlefield.

Skiddo, knowing that the time was perfect for a sneak attack to happen, perked its ears in preparation for a command from either Tristan or Korrina. The battlefield was noiseless. Tristan was startled when Korrina's commanding voice rang out.

"Power-Up Punch, Machoke!" The bipedal humanoid burst through the cloud of smoke and bashed Skiddo with his glowing orange fist, and Skiddo collapsed. Machoke laughed and flexed his muscles vainly at the apparent knock out, but all he received as a response was an explosion to the face. The fighting type stumbled backwards after taking the powerful grass type attack, looking down to see an extremely weary Skiddo struggling to stand. After a final command from Korrina, the fighting type clobbered the goat once again with Power-Up Punch.

"Thank you, Skiddo, you were amazing as always," Tristan praised as he returned his fallen friend. The teen sighed. What would he do now? _I know that fighting types are known for their brute strength, but this Machoke is powerful! He made short work of Skiddo, and took that Seed Bomb without a problem… Who should I use? I'm saving _him _for later, so I think I'll go with…_

"Chansey, help me out!" The friendly pink blob appeared on the battlefield with its ever-present smile, and waved at its opponent as it always did. Korrina raised her eyebrow at the normal type's appearance.

"A normal type? Now, I know type advantage isn't everything – far from it. But, why choose Chansey? They're not exactly very adept when it comes to battling or anything, no offense," Korrina interrogated. Tristan, though slightly insulted, responded with a half smile.

"I thought it was weird, too, when I found out that my Chansey, the Pokémon known for being a healer, loved battling. She works hard whenever we train, and she's always been positive and encouraging towards the others. If she wants to battle, I won't stop her," replied the brown haired trainer honestly. Korrina seemed amazed by the response.

"I don't usually get an answer like yours when I ask that question. I usually hear something about type advantage or a speed advantage, a typical answer like that. You're one of the few I've battled to call on their Pokémon not because of some stupid advantage, but because you appreciate them. I like you, kid, I really do. Well, I hope that your Chansey is as excited to battle as we are! Fight on, Tristan!" Korrina encouraged. The remark stirred up Tristan's already burning fighting spirit, and the teen issued his next command emphatically.

"Chansey, are you ready? Start by rushing Machoke!" Chansey dashed forward immediately, used to the strategy that was confusing to other trainers.

"Meet her with Brick Break!" Korrina barked. Machoke sprinted forward and stoppd next to Chansey in no time at all. The muscular Pokémon raised his white glowing hand and attempted to chop the pink blob, but a large green bubble stopped the super effective attack. Chansey cried out gleefully and wrapped Machoke in a bear hug, taking the bulky Pokémon into the air; after multiple midair flips, Chansey casted Machoke towards the arena. Chansey landed lightly on her feet, but Machoke was not as fortunate. The fighting type was slammed to the ground by the surprisingly swift attack, and cracks were created in the floor because of Seismic Toss. Machoke stood up and shook the debris off of his frame, preparing to charge his normal type opponent again.

"Good job, Chansey! Now, rush again!" said Tristan. Korrina smirked. _Not this time, _she thought.

"Machoke, use repeated Brick Breaks!" Korrina countered. The fighting type and normal type met once again in the middle of the battlefield, and Chansey brought up the familiar energy barrier as Machoke swung his open palm downwards. Chansey blocked the first Brick Break, but Machoke's second brutal chop shattered her protective shield and sent her bouncing along the battlefield. Chansey grunted and struggled to stand, and Tristan looked on in worry as Machoke began to take long strides towards the healer.

"Use Wish!" Tristan yelled desperately.

"Stop her!" Korrina roared. Machoke leapt into the air with surprising agility and whacked Chansey's cranium before she could perform the healing move. Chansey groaned in pain and drifted into unconsciousness before she even hit the ground.

"Thank you, Chansey, you tried your best," Tristan mumbled. The teen exhaled slowly. Was he frustrated? No. In fact, the action was that of excitement. His habit of exhaling slowly when excited didn't make sense to him, but he did it anyway. Tristan ran a hand through his tresses and clutched the Poké Ball that he was about to use.

"Manectric, let's end this!" Tristan called with enthusiasm. Korrina saw the appearance of the electric type and grinned.

"Oh man, it's a Manectric! It's been a while since I've seen one of those, and I vaguely remember them being powerful Pokémon. This will be a match to remember, that's for sure!" Tristan agreed silently and smiled to himself. His mind suddenly wandered back to when Electrike evolved earlier in the day.

***Flashback*******

_Chansey and the rest of the team winced as Electrike landed with a loud thud after falling from the sky at rapid pace. Skiddo puffed his chest out and smirked victoriously, but was shocked to see his energetic opponent slowly begin to stand. Electrike and Skiddo glared at each other, and then both began to glow._

_Tristan's jaw dropped._

_Sure, Skiddo had just pulled of an amazing new move, but Tristan was more concerned with the new Pokémon before him. Electrike had evolved! The electric type stood before his awed trainer with a proud smile. Tristan pulled out his Pokédex._

"_**Manectric, the Discharge Pokémon**__. __**It discharges electricity from its mane. It creates a thundercloud overhead to drop lightning bolts."**_

"_Wow…" Tristan murmured. The other Pokémon were in a similar state of surprise. After all, Manectric was a cool Pokémon to look at, at least in Tristan's opinion. The once small, green electric type was now much taller and was blue in color. A mane of spiky yellow hair now surrounded its head, and it had similar patches of yellow fur on it haunches. The newly evolved electric type gazed at Tristan with red eyes. Tristan stared at the Pokémon in confusion._

"_Manectric?" Tristan inquired. Then, without warning, the canine leapt at Tristan, who shouted in shock. Suddenly Tristan was shoved to the ground by the lightning fast creature, and the trainer felt a bit of fear rise up in him, knowing that Pokémon had the ability to change their personalities upon evolving. His fears were diminished and erased, however, when the electric type playfully licked his face. Tristan chuckled._

"_Hey, stop that!" Tristan said with another laugh. Needless to say, Tristan was glad. There was no way he could lose to the gym now!_

***End Flashback***

"Manectric, are you ready?" Tristan quizzed. The trainer received an excited howl as his response.

"Great! Start out with Discharge!" Tristan commanded. The blue canine began to build up power, and one could see electricity running all over his fur. Machoke rushed the electric type after orders from Korrina, but was blasted away by the powerful electricity that surged from Manectric's body. Machoke slammed into the wall behind Korrina and face-planted against the ground. The fighting type leader whipped her head around in shock.

"Machoke are you okay?" she inquired worriedly. The fighting type grunted an affirmative and began to push himself up, albeit slowly, but fell once again on his face. This prompted the gym leader to return her fallen Pokémon with a slightly shaky hand.

"How did you take out Machoke so easy?!" the blond blurted. Tristan rubbed the back of his head and laughed.

"Well, Manecric didn't actually need all of that time to use Discharge. I had him charge the attack for more power because I knew that a normal Discharge most likely wouldn't do the job," Tristan responded. Korrina's eyes widened, and she nodded her approval. _He's smart; I'll give him that. I still can't figure out his strategy, though! It seems to change depending on what Pokémon he uses…_

Korrina shook her head and regained focus. The gray-eyed female reached for her final Poké Ball and held it up with a grin. This was her strongest Pokémon when it came to gym battles, and she was sure that it wouldn't let her down. The gym leader wound her arm back and threw the spherical device into the air.

"Hawlucha, let's aim for a knock out blow!" A bird type appeared on the battlefield. It seemed to have white feathers on the front and red feathers in the back. Its wings were made of green feathers that matched the color of its mask-like head. The fighting type held its wings out like a cape and stood like a wrestler. Tristan's mind immediately went into analysis mode.

_It seems like this is her strongest Pokémon… It's obviously a fighting type, or she wouldn't have it as a part of the battle. And judging by its appearance, I'd say that it's also a flying type. I could be wrong, but if I'm correct this battle just got slightly easier, _Tristan concluded.

"Well, this battle's been a blast, Korrina, and I think it's about time we start to wrap it up! Manectric, close in with Quick Attack!" The hound crouched for a brief moment before pushing off of its hind legs and sprinting towards its avian adversary. Hawlucha dodged the attack easily because of the distance between the two, but was frustrated to find out that Manectric looped back around and rammed into it. Hawlucha immediately pushed itself back up and took to the air, gaining an aerial advantage. The fighting and flying type screeched and dove downwards towards its canine foe, who responded with a hasty Discharge. Hawlucha flew upwards at the last second and positioned itself right above the electric type. Korrina grinned.

"Now, use Flying Press!" Hawlucha's body was outlined with white energy, and the Pokémon rocketed towards Manectric at high speeds, looking like a meteor on the way down as the white energy turned crimson red.

"Dodge it!" Tristan screamed. The command was too late, however, as the flying type bore into Manectric's back. The hound let out a howl and fell forwards, kicking up a small cloud of dust. Hawlucha landed calmly a few feet away and awaited further orders. Before Tristan could say anything, Manectric pushed himself up off of the ground and stood tall.

"Good job, Manectric!" Tristan cheered encouragingly, "Now try a Quick Fang combo!" Hawlucha had no time to react before it found itself being tackled to the ground by Manectric's body. Hawlucha was pinned to the ground by Manectric's paws and screamed as electricity coursed through his veins on account of Manectric's Thunder Fang. Manectric backed up and scampered towards his side of the battlefield, allowing Hawlucha to stand. The bird stood up gingerly, smoke rising from his body from the shocking he had received.

"Come one, Hawlucha, you've got this! Fight through the pain wand use Aerial Ace!" Korrina called encouragingly. Hawlucha gritted his teeth and took to the air, still in pain from the previous Thunder Fang. However, the bird continued to push on as white and blue streaks trailed behind him.

"Meet it midair!" Tristan shouted excitedly as he threw his arm to the side. The canine used its powerful hind legs and jumped towards the airborne fighting type ahead of it, but Hawlucha dove towards the ground and dodged the lunge. Tristan grinned widely, and Korrina audibly cursed herself for being so stupid.

"Fire!" Tristan screamed as he pumped his fist in the air. Manectric's body froze midair and exploded with electric energy. The large shockwave formed a sphere around the canine and began to expand. Hawlucha screeched as the super effective attack that Manectric had been charging consumed him. Korrina was speechless as she watched her ace fall to the floor in a crisp.

"N-No way! I don't think I've ever seen anyone defeat Hawlucha so quickly! I mean, part of it was my own stupidity, but still!" The gym leader returned the downed fighting type with her mouth agape, still shocked. The blond walked over to Tristan, who praised and thanked his friend and returned him.

"That was some serious power! You bested me in almost every way today, Tristan! You definitely deserve the Rumble Badge!" Korrina said with praise. The gym leader handed Tristan a small piece of metal that was shaped like two boxing gloves punching each other, and the teen accepted it happily.

"Thank you so much!" Tristan said gratefully. Korrina grinned.

"No, thank you for such a fun battle! I'm sure you'll be a great contender if you decide to participate in the Kalos League. With that being said, keep doing what your doing. A trainer should continue training their Pokémon as friends, and not as tools, or they won't go very far, right? I'm sure you'll go far, so don't make a liar out of me!" Korrina stated wisely. Tristan placed the Rumble Badge in his badge case and cheered.

"Thank you, Korrina! Will do!"

"No problem, Tristan! Good luck!" The gym leader waved after Tristan as he left, and she smiled.

"That kid is something else… Now, to make that call," Korrina said faintly.

**X-X-X-X**

**And that's a wrap! Man, this was a fun chapter to write! I hope you all enjoyed the gym battle between Korrina and Tristan, as well as the crazy performance put on by Manectric. Crazy stuff. So, I'm gonna ask some questions now. Feel free to answer if you want.**

**Did you expect a gym battle so soon? (Also, you can say if you thought that the gym battle being so close was a good or bad idea).**

**When it said that Electrike and Skiddo both began to glow, did you expect both of them to evolve?**

**What's been your favorite battle so far?**

**And finally, though I haven't gone into personalities that much (I will soon, by the way), who's your favorite Pokémon on Tristan's team?**

**So yeah, feel free to answer any of those. Now, here's Tristan's team:**

_Frogadier – Level 30 – Water Pulse, Lick, Smokescreen, Quick Attack_

_Diggersby – Level 30 – Double Kick, Mud Shot, Quick Attack, Double Slap_

_Chansey – Level 28 – Wish, Protect, Healing Wish, Seismic Toss_

_Skiddo – Level 31 – Razor Leaf, Bulldoze, Seed Bomb, Vine Whip_

_Manectric – Level 34 – Discharge, Thunder Fang, Quick Attack, Bite_

**Now, I have just a couple more things before I end this author's note. First of all, this will be the longest chapter so far, being over 4,000 words! Second, after chapter 15 is released, I will start to use English titles instead of Latin. Why? Latin titles can be annoying. Also, Latin doesn't necessarily have the word I need for a title, so there's that. I may switch languages after another 15, but who knows? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading!**


	15. Chapter 15 - Occultus

**What's up people? I hope you all are doing well! So, last chapter Tristan acquired his third gym badge. That's crazy, right? His progress will start to slow down, just to let you know. He'll be encountering people and Pokémon and places, all of which will sidetrack him. But, I'm not going to say too much. :) So, before we begin, I'll address some reviews, mention one more thing, and then you all can read (unless you skip these lol).**

** GarionRiva – I will say that I'm trying to have Tristan's team go away from some more popular choices in some aspects. However, I don't find a big issue with it. I do get where you're coming from, though. Also, I do agree with you to some extent about some of the Pokémon's personalities being a bit bland (if that's what you mean). Believe me when I say all is not nearly so perfect as I make it seem. I just haven't shown you a chapter yet that shows how imperfect they are as a team. Also, new additions to the team later on might add some spice. Anyway, I appreciate your honest opinion. Thanks for reviewing!**

** ElTorro – Yeah, Tristan's been flying through these gym battles with apparent ease. But, as I mentioned above, his progress will slow down. He'll face some difficulty with a gym leader or two as well, though I won't say whom. And no, Skiddo and Electrike did not evolve simultaneously. How crazy would that be for a trainer to see two of their Pokémon evolve at the same time? Anyway, you are correct in saying that Manectric will be the powerhouse… for now. Also, you actually surprised me in your battle choice. I didn't expect it to be against Blade's Pawniard, but I have no issue with that. It was supposed to be surprising how powerful the thing was/is. Finally, if you haven't, read my response to GarionRiva's review about the personality thing. Possible rambling/long response aside, thanks for the review!**

** Pokefan02 – Frogadier is pretty awesome! ^_^**

** FlameStriker123 – Hey! Glad to see you back! Yeah, a lot happened. Two new catches, an evolution (or two), and a gym battle! I'm glad to see that you are enjoying it. Thanks for the review!**

**So, now that that's done, you all can begin! This chapter will focus on people that are not Tristan. Who could they be? There aren't many people to choose from, if you think about it. So, let's get this show on the road!**

**Chapter 15 – Occultus**

Blade sighed and cradled his head in his hands. The trainer's dark type friend stood by him, and a look of concern dawned his features.

"It's been happening more and more, Bisharp," the dark haired teen muttered with a shaky voice, "And I can't stand it! At this rate I'll… I'll…" Bisharp frowned as his trainer abruptly stood up and began to pace around the room. The steel type looked solemnly at the ground. It pained him to great lengths to see what his master was going through, and it frustrated him to no end that he couldn't do anything to help him. All the steel type could do was stand by and watch.

"Ugh. It's no use complaining now, though. I should be relaxing or something, especially with _that_ event coming up," Blade stated aloud, "Something to take my mind off of things." The teen began to shuffle through a bag at the end of his bed, and eventually stopped when he found the item that he was searching for. Blade sighed and donned a plain black mask before grabbing his belt that was lined with six Poké Balls. Tacitly, the blackish-gray eyed trainer returned Bisharp and exited his room. He strolled down a few hallways and came to a dead end with large iron double doors. Blade opened the right door as silently as he could and slipped inside the rather grand room before him, garnering a few stares from multiple people around the room. The trainer paid them no mind and took a seat towards the back of the room. _Looks like I was late... again. Oh well, I'm sure I didn't miss too much._

Blade stretched his legs a bit, adjusted his black jacket, and then leaned back in his chair. _This meeting may take a while._

**X-X-X-X**

***?'s POV***

I hadn't been speaking for too long when a creak was heard. I and multiple other people glanced to the back of the room to see someone walk into the room; they were late. I was tempted to make an example out of the tardy man, but I decided not too. I had to make this meeting as brief as I could, after all. I cleared my throat and continued to speak.

"Anyway, like I was saying, pretty big things are happening soon for Deivis. An important mission will be occurring sometime within the next week or so to retrieve a few important items. Admin Josh will lead this mission. Team A, you _will _listen to every order he gives you, or you will hear from me. And then, in weeks to come, we will be carrying out perhaps our largest operation. But, we can cross that bridge when we come to it. Let's go over this upcoming mission first, and then I can cover more later."

I went on to explain the upcoming mission and all of its intricacies. Despite being a smaller scale mission, it was a crucial one. If Josh didn't pull this off… Well, let's not talk about that, shall we? As I finished my speech and explanation, I reminded the audience that was made up of admins and grunts of our goal.

"And remember, when all is said and done we will finally acquire the power that we so deserve! We'll mold this imperfect world into what we want it to be!" I paused to clear my throat, "Well! I thank you all for your attention. Dismissed!" I sat in silence as the crowd of grunts before me stood up and left the room noisily. It took them all a few minutes to leave, but I could wait. Afterwards the admins all approached me. Drew smirked as he spoke.

"Still feeding them the same crap, huh?" he inquired with a chuckle. I found myself grinning at this.

"Why of course! We get more people to join the cause by being deceptive. How else do you think Team Plasma got so close to their goal years ago?" I responded. Trinity rolled her eyes at the mention of the group.

"Yeah, but we're definitely NOT Team Plasma. Ghetsis was an idiot for thinking that his plan would work. Our plan is much more foolproof," she stated critically. I glanced at Josh and saw him nodding.

"Yep. And when all is said and done, the power will be all ours. But first we have missions to attend to." I nodded and cleared my throat again.

"Exactly! I need you all to prepare yourselves for the upcoming missions. Be on the look out for… _them._ Don't fail me or you'll regret it. Do I make myself clear?" The three admins before me exchanged glances and nodded knowingly. I beamed at them all, though they couldn't see behind my mask.

"Good. You three are dismissed." I turned to the podium to gather my belongings and heard the three admins' footsteps getting fainter and fainter. _We're so close. So close._

**X-X-X-X**

Blade grumbled inaudibly as he walked into is bedroom. With a sigh he tossed his black mask to the floor and plopped onto his bed. The teen leaned against the headboard of his bed and rubbed his eyes. The meeting hadn't taken as long as he had originally though, but he was still bored.

_I guess my condition is putting me in a bad mood… _the dark haired trainer thought to his self.

Blade glanced up to see Bisharp making a beeline to his bag, and raised his eyebrow curiously. The steel type chose not to reply and began to dig through the backpack. After a few moments of searching, the bladed Pokémon stood up and held a small rectangular container between his arms. Without a word, Bisharp tossed the object at Blade, and the latter caught it. The action made Blade more confused.

"What about my badge case? We've collected all of them already, remember?" the trainer reminded. Bisharp shook his head adamantly and pointed at the badge case, prompting his trainer to open it.

"Oh, no way!" Blade paused to chuckle at his forgetfulness, "I guess we don't have them all. I tend to forget these things, you know?" Bisharp rolled his eyes at the comment and laughed. Blade then hopped off of his bed and placed the badge case back in his bag.

"You know what, Bisharp? I think it's time to go get that badge. What do you say?" he inquired with a grin. Bisharp smiled and nodded. _Mission accomplished, _thought the steel type.

**X-X-X-X**

The large, metal bird landed on the snow-covered ground quietly and crouched down, allowing its trainer to hop off of its back. Blade smiled and pulled out a Poké Ball.

"Thank you, Skarmory, you were a quick flyer as always," the teen praised. The armored avian smiled at the praise before being zapped into its Poké Ball. Blade then turned to the large building before him.

"Time to win our last badge…" he said quietly. The teen strolled over to the wooden door that led to the gym and reached for the handle, when suddenly he found himself on his back and staring at the sky. The dark haired trainer rubbed the back of his head in pain.

"Are you alright?" a deep voice asked. Blade looked to see a large man standing before him with white hair and a mustache to match. He wore a simple white shirt and had a light blue jacket to cover it that had red on the inside. After brushing snow off of his black pants, the man extended his hand.

"Terribly sorry for hitting you with the door!" he said with a hearty laugh, "I hope you're alright." Blade took the proffered hand and stood up, brushing some snow off of his own clothes.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the teen finally responded. The older man before him nodded at the response.

"Oh, but where are my manners? I'm Wulfric, the gym leader here in Snowbelle City! I'm assuming you want to challenge the gym."

"I would, actually. I hope you don't mind. By the way, I'm Blade." Wulfric grinned and laughed heartily before motioning the teen towards the door.

"Well then, Blade, let's see what you've got!"

**X-X-X-X**

Bisharp stared down its ice type opponent and waved its bladed hand tauntingly, causing the ice type to frown.

"Now, let's begin! Cryogonal, let's start with Ice Beam!" The floating snowflake formed the icy energy and shot it like a laser. The attack raced towards Bisharp and struck the steel type in the arm as he attempted dodging it.

"Break the ice and charge in with Iron Head!" Blade barked. Bisharp smashed his arm against the ground and then sprinted at his ice type opponent with his head shining metallically. Cryogonal dodged quickly and prepared another Ice Beam, but was smashed to the ground when Bisharp flickered behind it and nailed it with Sucker Punch. The snowflake skidded across the ground and landed by Wulfric, who began to encourage the ice type. Cryogonal slowly began to stand up, already weary because of its weakness to physical attacks.

"Fight through it, Cryogonal! Now, use Flash Cannon!" The ice type began to draw energy to the front of its body and formed a sphere of silver energy. The attack began to grow in size and was surrounded by red streaks of light. Blade's eyes widened along with Bisharp's; the attack looked like it could do some damage.

Cryogonal fired the ball of energy that it had formed, and Blade watched as the attack rocketed across the battlefield and struck Bisharp in the face. The steel type had no time to react as his ice type opponent closed the gap between them and rounded off another Ice Beam. Bisharp was blown back by the force of the attack and found his self frozen to the gym wall. Blade scowled and shook his head in disappointment. _Why am I so off today? Ugh. I can't give up, though._

"Bisharp, sit there for a sec," Blade ordered. The teen's command confused Wulfric and his Pokémon, but the gym leader continued on as normal.

"Prepare another Ice Beam!" the rotund man shouted. Cryogonal did so immediately, which caused Blade to grin.

"Now, Sucker Punch!" Bisharp suddenly faded away and reappeared behind the floating snowflake. The steel type cocked his fist back and slammed it into Cryogonal's back. The ice type face-planted on the gym floor with a loud smack and was unable to get back up. Wulfric returned the fainted Pokémon and guffawed loudly.

"That's a strong Pokémon you've got there, Blade! Let's see how it stacks against my Avalugg, though." With that being said, Wulfric tossed another Poké Ball into the air. A large iceberg looking Pokémon crashed onto the battlefield and roared. Blade silently whispered words of caution to Bisharp.

The sentient chunk of ice and the living chess piece glared at each other for a few moments in order to size up one another. After a brief pause, Bisharp sped forward with his palm raised and began to close the distance between him and his icy adversary. The steel type lunged at Avalugg, feinted to the left, and then finally leapt onto the large Pokémon's back and slammed his bladed hand onto its back. Avalugg roared in annoyance and attempted to shake the unwelcome guest off, but Bisharp refused to budge.

"Avalugg, use Gyro Ball!" Wulfric barked. Avalugg somehow began to spin extremely quickly, surrounding himself with silver energy all the while. Bisharp was thrown off of the iceberg's back and was sent tumbling along the gym floor, which gave Wulfric a chance to keep up his assault.

"Now, Avalanche!" Bisharp glanced up to see a large wave of icy rocks rain down from the ceiling and braced himself for the impact. The large stones pelted the steel type for what seemed like an eternity, and the power behind the attack forced Bisharp down on one knee. Wulfric grinned.

"Good job, Avalugg. Now, let's wrap this up with-!" The ice gym leader was interrupted by Blade's quick command.

"Iron Head!" Bisharp stood up as quickly as he could and made a beeline towards Avalugg, causing Wulfric to immediately go on the defensive.

"Avalanche again!" The Iceberg Pokémon roared and summoned another wave of rocks to pummel Bisharp, but Blade wouldn't let it happen again.

"Sucker Punch!" Bisharp seemed to teleport behind his adversary for the third time and dug his energy packed fist into Avalugg's side, and the followed it up with a vicious Iron Head. Wulfric's bulky Pokémon groaned and stumbled backwards, accidentally stumbling over his own feet in the process. Wulfric gasped and held up Avalugg's Poké Ball.

"Avalugg, return!" Wulfric said briskly. Seeing this caused Bisharp to raise his nonexistent eyebrow, which coaxed an answer out of his trainer.

"If an Avalugg falls onto its back, it's impossible to get it back up unless you have some strong Pokémon, people, or machines to lift it back up. Nobody here would be able to accomplish that, so the match was basically over," Blade informed the curious dark type. Wulfric nodded in agreement.

"Yep. Luckily for me not many of my opponents have had Pokémon who could put enough power behind their attacks to flip something as heavy as Avalugg. But, you happen to be one of the ones who can, which is saying something. I'm even more excited to battle, now! You see, what I'm about to do is something that I usually refrain from doing with most challengers. But, you're not an ordinary challenger, it would seem. So, without further ado, I call Abomasnow to the battlefield!" Wulfric tossed his third and final Poké Ball into the air after his short speech, and a bipedal snow monster appeared. It has leafy green arms and feet, as well as a short tail behind its body of the same color. The rest of its body was as white as snow. It was then that Wulfric grinned the widest grin Blade had ever seen. The teen was about to ask why when Wulfric held up the locket around his neck.

"See this? This is a locket. But, it's also something else…" The older man flipped the object around and revealed a small, circular stone embedded in the back. Blade's eyes widened in recognition; Wulfric had a key stone. The rotund man then tapped the object with his thumb, and Abomasnow began to shine brilliantly. A wind picked up in the room as a sphere of energy surrounded Wulfric's final Pokémon. Moments later the energy dispersed; Blade could feel the power of Abomasnow from all the way across the gym. The mega evolved ice type looked almost like a ball with two short legs and two long arms. Four pointed icicles sprouted from Abomasnow's back, giving it a more menacing appearance. It was then that Blade noticed small piece of ice falling from the sky.

"Oh great," the teen muttered to himself, "Snow Warning's caused it to hail…" The teen shook his head to focus on the battle and threw his arm to the side.

"Bisharp, try a dual Knock Off!" Bisharp was halfway across the battlefield in a flash, already crossing his bladed arms as his palms harbored a dark purple shine. Abomasnow smirked at this as Wulfric issued a command.

"Blizzard!" The mega Pokémon opened his mouth and unleashed a flurry of snow at the incoming steel type. Bisharp grunted as he struggled to overcome the fierce storm that was thrown his way. The steel type's strength was gone at this point, and the powerful ice attack overwhelmed him easily. The bladed Pokémon fell and hit the ground with a thud, unable to get back up. Blade held up a Poké Ball and sighed.

"Thank you, Bisharp, return. Now, you're up, Skarmory!" Blade tossed his second Poké Ball into the air, revealing the large metal bird to Wulfric. _Now, as long as I don't mess up really badly with Skarmory like I did with Bisharp, I'll be fine. _

"Wulfric, it's been a pleasure battling. But, I'm afraid I'll have to end the battle now," Blade said with a grin.

"I like the confidence! Let's see how far it gets you… Abomasnow, Blizzard!" Wulfric shouted. The gym was filled with wave after wave of snow as Mega Abomasnow unleashed the powerful ice attack, leaving Skarmory to dodge in the air. Luckily for the flying type, Blizzard was an inaccurate move. Blade looked across the battlefield to see Abomasnow panting, clearly tired from using so many Blizzards in a row.

"Now's our chance! Skarmory, use Brave Bird!" the teen cried as he punched forward. The metal bird screeched as it dove towards the tired ice type, using its height to help power its next attack. Skarmory's body was surrounded in brilliant golden energy as it spread its wings and continued to dive, preparing to finish the battle with a final attack.

"Get out of the way, Abomasnow!" Wulfric screamed desperately. The command was too late, however, as Skarmory clotheslined the grass and ice type with its wing. Wulfric's ace was thrown to the wall of the gym, and the force of the impact was strong enough to leave cracks. The mega Pokémon groaned in pain and fell to the floor, adopting its original form. Wulfric returned his fallen friend and approached Blade.

"That was one heck of a battle! You've got some strong Pokémon, that's for sure. Something tells me that you've got some that are even stronger, too. Well, I'll be looking forward to seeing you in the Kalos League if you decide to join it. But for now you can just take this badge, Blade," Wulfric said. The teen accepted the badge gratefully and shook Wulfric's hand.

"Thanks for the battle. Perhaps I'll see you at the League, Wulfric." Blade and Wulfric exchanged knowing glances, as they knew that they would see each other again one way or another. Blade exited the gym and, after healing his Pokémon, hopped on Skarmory and flew away from the snowy city.

_Man oh man, what a day._

**X-X-X-X**

**I hope you all enjoyed a chapter that was not focused on Tristan for once. We got to see a tiny bit of behind the scenes with Deivis, as well as an insight into Blade's life. I'm curious to see what people would say in regards to Blade's "condition". Anyway, Blade showed that he knew how to command his Pokémon quite effectively (except for a brief moment with Bisharp), and received his final badge because of it! Will we see from him again? You can count on it.**

**Questions for you to think about/answer if you feel like it:**

**1- Blade's condition… What could it be?**

**2- What could Deivis be planning?**

**And before I go, I would just like to thank everyone for reviewing, etc. You guys are pretty awesome. ^_^ I'd also like to say sorry for taking so long with writing this. I have a legit excuse and all (exams), but I'd like to apologize anyway. So, good luck to you all if you have exams, and I hope you have a good summer!**


	16. Chapter 16 - Downtime

**Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter. We got to have a break from Tristan's journey and focus more on Blade, etc. He seems like a burdened soul. Hmm…**

**Anyway, this will be the first chapter with an English title! Wooo~! It makes it a lot easier for me, haha. So, let's address some reviews before the chapter begins…**

** ElTorro – Well, you're not the only one bad at guessing! XD You definitely got number one wrong. But as for number two… you'll have to see. And yeah, I've wanted to do a chapter that focused on Blade only for a bit now. You'll be seeing a few more of those, I think. And don't worry; Bisharp is strong, but not ridiculously so. (Though his fainting was more of Blade derping than anything). Thanks for the review!**

** FlameStriker123 – I'm glad you enjoyed the battle! :D Yeah, Bisharp is pretty strong. Now we'll have to see if you got your second question correct… (And you're not the only one who's bad at guessing!) Thanks for the review!**

** MangoLimePiFngrl (Who seems to be a guest) – I'm not entirely sure what you were saying, to be honest. XD I'm assuming you were asking about catching a certain Pokémon, but I can't be too sure.**

**Now we begin Chapter 16. What does this installment have in store for our characters? We'll have to see!**

**Chapter 16 – Downtime**

All was quiet in the peaceful seaside city of Shalour. It was early in the morning, meaning that virtually nobody was out and about; except for three teenagers, that is. Tristan, Monica and Dash had all met each other in the Pokémon Center that morning and were pleasantly surprised.

"I really didn't expect to meet you guys here, but I'm glad that I did," Tristan said as he took a bite of his apple.

"Neither did we. It's weird how these things work out, isn't it?" Dash piped up with a chuckle.

"No need to shout, dummy…" Monica grumbled as she took a sip of coffee. Dash put his hand by the side of his mouth and whispered to Tristan.

"I've travelled with her long enough to know that she hates mornings. I apologize in advance if she says anything." Tristan laughed as Monica bopped the dark-skinned teenager on the head.

**X-X-X-X**

"So, you're telling me that a Rhyhorn once crashed into your house? No way!" Monica exclaimed with a laugh. Tristan couldn't help but laugh also. When she wasn't in a bad mood, she was a good person to talk to. In fact, they had carried on a conversation for the past ten minutes while Dash was gone.

"Yeah. I was about ten years old when our neighbor's Rhyhorn crashed through the wall of our house. Needless to say, my mom was super unhappy. I don't know why, but I kinda just laughed at the whole thing," Tristan explained.

"And you weren't mad or anything?" the girl inquired. Tristan shook his head.

"Nope, not really. Accidents happen," he answered. All was silent for a moment. In an attempt to continue the conversation, Tristan attempted to shift the focus to Monica.

"So… What about you? Do you have any crazy childhood stories?" The blond pondered the question as she began to tie her hair into a ponytail. After a few seconds of managing her hair, Monica finally spoke up.

"Eh, not really. You see, I was apparently put up for adoption when I was one. A married couple in Anistar City was unable to have a kid, so they ended up adopting me. They're nice and all, but I've always wanted to know who my real parents are…" Tristan nodded empathetically, and he stopped smiling for a brief second. Noticing this, Monica panicked.

"Sorry about that! I need to learn to share slightly happier topics sometimes," the girl apologized. Tristan shook his head and smiled.

"No, no, you're fine. I like getting to know people more. Your story just reminds me of Dash's…" Monica raised an eyebrow at this.

"What's his story? I've always wondered why he acts like he does sometimes." Tristan paused and glanced at Monica in confusion.

"He's never told you?" the brown haired teen quizzed. Her response was a shake of the head.

"Huh, I thought he would've told you by now…" Tristan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Monica frowned, regretting her question almost immediately.

"Sorry. I guess it's better not to ask…" Monica gazed at the sea awkwardly and inwardly cursed herself for her stupidity.

"No, no, it's fine, I promise. I just don't feel right sharing the dude's story behind his back. I might as well though, or you'll never really understand him," Tristan paused to take a deep breath and glance at Monica. The blond was readily awaiting the story, and Tristan obliged.

"When Dash was about six years old, his mother started becoming really rude to say the least. She was always in a bad mood and always blamed him for everything. Dash could never live up to her expectations, and no matter what he did he was always a failure to her. He tried his hardest in everything and, even though his dad was supportive, his mother would never say anything positive. After a year, his parents began to argue, and the arguments would often end in things breaking or punches being thrown. The two could never agree on anything, and Dash hated it. His mother was already blaming him for everything that happened, but his dad started doing it too." Tristan paused when Monica gasped, her hands covering her mouth. The teen solemnly looked at the ground and shook her head.

"That's horrible!" she muttered, trying to repress any tears that could form. Tristan nodded.

"Yeah, but there's still a bit left in the story… One day Dash woke up and his mother and father seemed happy for once. There were no fights, no arguments, nothing like that. It was only a few hours later that their divorce became final. What may be worse than that is that both of his parents didn't even want him anymore, as they viewed him as a burden. He was put up for adoption soon after and that was when he started living in the town that I come from. We were both ten years old when we met and became great friends. Every now and then you'll see him beat himself up over stuff or take people's words really harshly. He can be pretty insecure at times, and we have his parents to thank for that…" Tristan trailed off and coughed awkwardly. Monica sniffled and nodded, still trying not to cry.

"Heh, sorry about that. On the bright side, Dash is a really good guy. Sure, he walks and talks at the speed of light, but he's super fun to be around. I'm sure you know that already." Monica agreed with a 'hmm'.

"That's awesome. I'm glad you told me that, actually. It's sad, it really is, but it'll help me understand that crazy guy more. Travelling with him can be… interesting," the blond said with a chuckle. Tristan laughed.

"After being neighbors and best friends with Dash for about six years, I can back you up on that."

Tristan started to share another story about something stupid he and Dash did when they were younger, but Monica was already in her own little world.

She felt bad for treating him the way she did sometimes. She could be a bit snippy, she knew that, but Dash was always nice enough to brush it off. He had every right to snap back, too, but he didn't. It was then that she realized how nice some people could be.

"Monica!" Tristan shouted. Monica jumped and brushed a strand of hair away from her blue eyes.

"Y-Yeah?" she stuttered in embarrassment. Tristan stood up and offered the girl a hand.

"Dash just got back. Come on, let's go." Monica grabbed the proffered hand and stood up quickly, almost falling over in the process. Monica whirled around to see Dash standing there with a grin on his face.

"You guys won't believe what just happened!" he exclaimed rapidly. The other two trainers raised an eyebrow, causing the ecstatic African American to grin wider than before.

"I was just wrapping up some training and heading to the Pokémon Center when I met Korrina, and she told me that tomorrow she wants to meet us at the Tower of Mastery. She didn't say what for, but it's gotta be something cool, right?" Dash continued, not bothering to slow down.

"Huh, I wonder what she could want…" Tristan muttered to himself. Monica shrugged.

"I'm not sure. We'll have to find out!"

"But for now, I've got an idea," Dash started, "But I'm not going to tell you just yet! Tristan, Shorty, follow me." Monica frowned and crossed her arms.

"How many times have I told you? I'm not _that _short!"

Tristan laughed inwardly as he began to follow Dash to who knows where. _Those two could be siblings, I swear._

**X-X-X-X**

Monica stretched and sighed in contentment. Even though he was very, very talkative, Dash had his fair share of good ideas.

_And this, _Monica thought, _is one of them._

She was the last one to think that Dash would suggest that they have a bit of downtime on Shalour's beaches. She wasn't going to complain, of course, but the idea did throw her off. But here she was soaking up the sun while lying on a towel in her bikini, a modest one, of course. The girl rolled her eyes as some random guy on the beach glanced at her for what seemed to be the twentieth time. Some people…

The blond shifted her attention to the two guys who brought her here. The two were having a competition to see who could throw rocks the farthest. So far Dash was winning three to one, but that didn't stop the two from continuing to best of seven. Monica smiled to herself as she watched the two fool around, and she counted herself lucky for knowing them. The two were nice guys and, as far as she knew, both very competent trainers. This conclusion led her to another. She would have to save that question for later, though.

_For now I'll just enjoy my time here… _Monica thought with a small smile. Her smile turned into a frown, however, when something started blocking out the sun or rather, someone. The same guy that had stared at her about twenty times was standing at her feet, now looking down at her. He was tanned and muscular to some extent, quite similar to the stereotyped guy with a 'beach body'. He combed back his blond locks with his fingers and beamed at Monica with a mouth full of perfect teeth. Most girls would be dumbstruck at that moment. Monica was not 'most girls'.

"Can I help you?" she deadpanned as she sat up. The teenager standing above her grinned and offered her his hand.

"You can help yourself to a date with me, Rick. What do you say?" he beamed. Monica tried so hard not to laugh, but to no avail.

"What's so funny?" the guy fumed. Monica placed her hand over her mouth and snickered before wiping a fake tear from her eyes.

"Oh man… I'm sorry, but that was funny! Seriously though, I'd rather not go out with you," she explained. The boy in front of her frowned, crossed his arms, and furrowed his brow. He shook his head slightly and adopted a smirk.

"Well, I'm not taking no for an answer!" he responded with a hint of anger in his voice. Without warning the tanned teen's hand shot out and grabbed for Monica's wrist, and Monica backed up immediately. The blond sunbather breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that a dark skinned hand had stopped Rick's arm from moving any closer. Monica exhaled and placed a hand over her chest.

"Thank you, Dash." Rick, however, was not grateful in the slightest. The tanned teen slapped Dash's hand away.

"What's the big deal, bud? Do you have a problem or something?" Rick inquired, glaring at the trainer who was about half a foot taller. Dash gave Monica's harasser a look that seemed to question the boy's intelligence.

"You're being a jerk to my friend, what do you expect me to do?" the African American responded, posing his rhetorical question. The irritated beach boy gave Dash a shove and reached for a Poké Ball on his belt.

"I don't see what the problem is! Oh well, I'll make you a deal. We'll battle one on one. If I win, I get to go on a date with her. If you win, I'll leave. Deal?" Rick proposed. Hearing this, Monica paled. It wasn't that she doubted Dash's skill as a trainer, no, far from it. She was more concerned with Rick. She had no idea how good of a trainer he was, after all. But surely Dash would not be so stupid as to risk her happiness, right?

"You've got yourself a deal!" Dash replied with a smirk. Monica almost screamed.

**X-X-X-X**

Tristan approached the middle of the battlefield and cleared his throat.

"The following battle between Dash and Rick is about to begin! The fight will be a one on one, and both trainers will send their Pokémon out at the same time! Whoever's Pokémon faints first will be considered the loser, and they must own up to their end of the bet. Begin!" Rick smirked and grabbed for a Poké Ball, mirroring Dash's actions. The two locked their gazes for a brief moment before tossing the spherical devices onto the battlefield.

"Hitmonchan, let's wreck this fool!" Rick cried arrogantly.

"Jolteon, let's battle!" Dash said simultaneously. The two Pokémon crashed down onto the sandy shores of the beach and braced themselves for battle. Standing before Dash was a dog-like quadruped with spiky yellow fur and white spiky fur around the neck. The Pokémon's purple eyes scanned its opponent, who appeared to be a fighting type.

Rick's Pokémon has very humanlike and bipedal. It was tan in color and had five protrusions jutting out from the top of his head. He swung his red boxing glove-like fists around at a rapid place and smirked confidently like his trainer. Jolteon's eyes narrowed at the sight of the powerful looking creature.

"Jolteon, start out with Thunderbolt!" Dash order speedily. Electricity danced over Jolteon's form and shot out as a crackling beam. The attack zipped through the air and struck Dash's fighting type opponent head on. The bipedal brawler stumbled backwards in pain, smoke rising from his body.

"Shake it off and use Close Combat!" Hitmonchan snapped out of his pained state and sprinted at breakneck speeds towards Jolteon. The fighting type missed his first few punches but landed a swift kick to Jolteon's face, causing the canine to fly into the air. Hitmonchan took the opportunity to leap up and raise both of his arms into the air. Jolteon had no time to react as he was hammered into the sand below.

Hitmonchan landed with a smirk and folded his arms, already anticipating his victory. Both Rick and his Pokémon were shocked to see Jolteon slowly but surely stand up on all fours. Dash grinned.

"What do you say we show them a real fight? Rush in with Quick Attack!" Dash shouted. Jolteon pushed off of its back legs and sped forward as white streaks trailed from its form.

"Nail it with Mega Punch!" Hitmonchan's gloved fist adopted a blue sheen that would rival the sky in color and cocked his fist back. Jolteon neared the fighting type and leapt at it, prompting Hitmonchan to swing. The confused humanlike creature hit nothing but air and was promptly knocked to the ground by Dash's Jolteon, who laughed. Hitmonchan pushed himself off of the ground angrily and charged at Jolteon without being commanded to do so, causing Dash to grin.

"Let's wrap this up! Thunderbolt at max power!" The yellow canine grinned and crouched, letting the high voltage attack form. The angered fighting type drew near and Jolteon released the wicked attack. Hitmonchan cried out in pain and fell to the ground thoroughly singed.

"And Dash is the winner of this battle! Rick must live up to his end of the bet!" Tristan stated with a grin. Rick returned his Hitmonchan with a grumble, turned around, and began to walk away; Monica rolled her eyes at the tanned teen's rude parting gesture, but ignored him and turned to Dash.

"You don't want to know what would've happened if you had lost," Monica said, half joking and half serious. Dash grinned and rubbed the back of his head.

"Let me guess… I'm sure it had something to do with kicking me in the shin… multiple times." Monica smirked.

"You know me too well." It was then that Tristan clapped Dash on the back.

"That was a great battle! Seeing how strong your Jolteon is makes me want to battle you," Tristan said pointedly. Hearing this, Monica stepped up to Tristan and shook her head.

"Not until you battle me, of course," the blond stated adamantly. Tristan chuckled at her insistence.

"Well, I suppose it would be better to do it now!" Tristan concluded.

"But I'm not even in clothing good enough to battle in!" Monica whined while glancing down at her beach attire. Tristan shrugged nonchalantly.

"Well, I guess we can just battle later…" he said slyly. Monica sighed.

"Fine, we'll battle now," she pouted.

**X-X-X-X**

Tristan exhaled in anticipation and gripped the Poké Ball in his hand tightly. He had heard from Dash that Monica was a great battler, but that would make the upcoming match so much more fun. The two had agreed on a three verses three battle, and said battle was about to begin. Tristan and Monica glanced at each other a smirked, sending their Pokémon out at the same time.

"Diggersby, it's time!"

"Help me out, Malamar!" Tristan's first caught Pokémon dropped onto the battlefield and crossed his arms, a grin decorating his features. In front of Monica stood a purple creature that resembled a squid. Yellow spots decorated the creature's dark purple torso. A pointed tentacle protruded from either side of the squid's body, and several shorter tentacles jutted out from its head. Two piercing eyes gazed at Diggersby stoically, but the hare was not unnerved.

The two had also agreed to let Monica have the first move. Tristan regretted this decision slightly, as he had absolutely no idea what the living calamari creature before him could do.

"Malamar, start out with Superpower!" Tristan's eyes widened upon hearing the powerful attack's name.

"Dodge with Quick Attack!" Tristan shouted hurriedly. Diggersby narrowly dodged as Malamar's crimson and orange frame zoomed past him, but Malamar skidded on a dime and slammed its tentacles into Diggersby's back. The normal type face-planted in the sand on account of the super effective assault, but managed to stand up with ease. _Now I need to counterattack. Superpower lowers the foe's attack and defense, so Malamar shouldn't be able to hit as hard or be hit as much…_

"Diggersby, rush in with a Quick Attack fueled Double Kick!" The rabbit rushed forward with surprising speed as white streaks flew off of his body and hopped into the air. The normal type's feet began to glow, and Diggersby dropkicked Malamar in the torso. Malamar took the attack and grunted as it did so, but to Tristan's surprise Malamar still seemed perfectly fine.

"Surprised?" Monica inquired, "I don't blame you. My Malamar has this strange ability that raises stats when they should be lowered, and lowers them when they should be raised. So, Superpower actually raises her attack and defense." Tristan's jaw dropped.

"Wow. Talk about lucky… But it's okay, because we'll still win! Diggersby, Mud Shot!" Diggersby grunted and dug his hand-like ears into the sand, somehow coming back with a hard ball of mud. With expert aim Diggersby flung the hardened ball at Malamar, who was struck in the face. Malamar stumbled back and shook her head vigorously, now mildly annoyed more than anything.

Upon Monica's command, Malamar rammed into Diggersby for a second time with Superpower, this time forcing Diggersby down for longer. The normal and ground type barely managed to get to his feet after taking two super effective attacks in a row, but he would try his hardest. Tristan knew this, too.

"Diggersby, do it again!" Diggersby immediately knew what to do and activated his Quick Attack. Monica smirked, as she wouldn't let it happen again.

"Rock Slide!" Monica's squid-like companion spontaneously summoned a horde of rocks above the battlefield, sending them hurling towards the beach with a flick of its hand. Tristan breathed a sigh of relief when Diggersby managed to avoid them all and deliver a hard drop kick to Malamar's body again. The dark type wheezed as she felt the air knocked out of her and began to stumble around, leaving her open.

"Finish it with Double Slap!" Diggersby grinned and gathered energy in his fist-like ears, preparing to end the fight. Luckily Malamar was still winded from the previous assault and took the brunt of Diggersby's forceful attack. The squid crashed to the ground with her eyes closed. A shocked Monica returned her fallen comrade.

"Surprised? I don't blame you," Tristan mimicked with a playful grin, "After all, Diggersby has an ability called Huge Power that doubles his attack." Now it was Monica's turn to be slightly jealous.

"He's good, I'll give him that…" the blonde muttered. The female trainer sighed and plucked another Poké Ball off of her belt, spinning the spherical device in her hand.

"Sylveon, help me out!" Monica shouted. A feline creature appeared before Monica in a flash of light. It was primarily white in color with pink fur around its feet, ears and tail. A pink and white bowtie was perched on the Pokémon's neck, and a second one at the base of its left ear. Several ribbons flowed from the Pokémon's body as well, making the creature look incredibly adorable when considered in conjunction with its shining blue hues.

"Not gonna lie, that thing is adorable," Tristan opined, "But let's continue, shall we? Diggersby, try a Mud Shot!" The normal type cracked his knuckles and smashed his hand into the ground, coming back moments later with a ball of mud. The piece of earth was flung towards the adorable pink Pokémon at high speeds, though they were not deterred.

"Swift!" Monica ordered. Sylveon's mouth opened wide and fired what seemed to be hundreds of golden stars. The projectiles sliced through Diggersby's attack with ease and made a beeline towards the tired rabbit. Diggersby instinctively brought his earlike hands in front of his body defensively, only to find the stars loop around and catch him in the back. The normal type was shoved to the ground by the unexpected attack and stayed down, clearly knocked out. Tristan returned his fallen friend and plucked another Poké Ball from his belt with a sigh.

"Skiddo, you're up!" The grass type appeared on the battlefield and stamped his front hooves, simultaneously puffing out his chest. Both Monica and Sylveon rolled their eyes at the proud Pokémon. Skiddo stared the fairy type down and then turned to Tristan with a puzzled look. Something so cute could fight?

"She's tough, I promise you that," Tristan assured him, "So let's show them how tough you can be! Razor Leaf!" The razor sharp leaves began to levitate around Skiddo's body before being fired straight at Sylveon, who countered easily with Swift.

"Close the gap with Quick Attack!" Monica barked. Sylveon crouched down and pushed off of its hind legs to gain speed. The fairy type was in Skiddo's face in an instant and smirked as it released another flurry of stars. Every single star rocked Skiddo's form and pushed the arrogant goat back inch by inch, but Skiddo refused to back down. The grass type shook his head vigorously and charged Sylveon recklessly, and the latter easily dodged before rounding off another Swift.

Skiddo was blindsided by the damaging attack and rolled across the sandy shore for yards before stopping his self. Skiddo coughed and spat out sand as it stood up gingerly, already looking worse for wear as he panted with sweat trickling down his visage. Sylveon was clearly a powerful contender.

Skiddo limped back towards his trainer, still determined to beat Sylveon despite his injured state. Monica was about to order another attack when the grass type began to glow brightly. Skiddo's body started to become larger with slightly more muscle. His once small horns grew and curved towards his back. The newly evolved Pokémon had a leafy growth around its neck that trailed down his back, while the rest of the body was covered in dark brown or light brown fur. Tristan, Monica, Dash, and even Sylveon all gasped at the sight. Tristan fumbled for his Pokédex.

_Gogoat, the Mount Pokémon. __It can tell how its trainer is feeling by subtle shifts in the grip on its horns, _stated the Pokédex robotically. Tristan grinned along with his newly evolved partner, who was reveling in his newfound form.

"Let's test out your new form! Gogoat, Bulldoze!" Tristan said while pointing at Sylveon. Gogoat smirked and slammed his hooves on the ground. A fissure appeared beneath the grass type's feet and snaked its way towards Sylveon, who was startled by the attack's speed. The fissure reached the fairy type and opened up, causing the pink Pokémon to fall in, effectively trapping her.

"Now Seed Bomb!" Gogoat began to shine, forming the powerful attack using the leaves on his back. Within seconds the goat catapulted three massive seeds into the air, all of which landed on the trapped fairy type below. The three resulting explosions rocked the battlefield while kicking up large portions of sand, also tossing Sylveon into the air.

"Use a midair Swift!" Monica shouted, running out of ideas. Sylveon righted herself in midair and unleashed a powerful Swift, showering Gogoat with the golden stars. The goat smirked and rolled out of the way before too many stars could land, however, and let loose a Razor Leaf upon Tristan's command. Sylveon hastily responded with Swift as a counter. The two attacks raged on, sometimes pushing forward and other times being pushed back. The war of stamina continued, neither side willing to give in. Finally the energy being exerted by the two attacks exploded violently, sending both Gogoat and Sylveon tumbling to their respective trainers' feet.

Monica and Tristan both urged their friends to stand with cheers of encouragement. Gogoat grunted and began to stand up along with Sylveon. Both Pokémon stared daggers at each other for a brief moment until both of them froze up and crashed to the ground. The match had resulted in a tie. Monica and Tristan both returned their Pokémon.

"Man! Talk about a crazy battle!" Tristan stated while wiping his brow. Monica laughed and nodded in agreement.

"Oh yeah! You're Pokémon are definitely strong, but we're going to have to win this. My next Pokémon will prove it to you, too! Braixen, let's end this!" Monica shouted confidently. Tristan saw this and grinned.

"A battle of the starters it is, then! Alright, Frogadier, let's give 'em a show!" A bipedal yellow fox stood in front of Monica with tufts of red fur coming out of its ears. The fox smiled calmly and looked at Frogadier, who smiled back. The battle of the starters was about to begin.

"Braixen, Psybeam!" Braixen reached back and grabbed a stick from its tail, which it waved in front of it like a magic wand. Suddenly countless rainbow colored rings shot out of the wand in a straight line and zipped towards Frogadier, who leapt out of the way with ease. Frogadier landed and charged at Braixen with a Water Pulse in hand, nearing the fire type in moments. The ninja frog slammed the super effective attack into Braixen's torso and quickly sped back to Tristan's side before Braixen could retaliate. Braixen groaned and stood up, pain coursing through her veins. Fighting through the pain, she held up her magical twig and spontaneously summoned a tornado of fire. A startled Frogadier was sucked up by the attack and tossed about by the wind created. The water type screamed as flames engulfed his body and dropped him onto the sand with singed skin. Frogadier stood up and found himself face to face with Braixen, whose body was enveloped in flaming energy. The fox crashed into Frogadier and an explosion occurred from the Flame Charge attack, sending the ninja frog rolling across the ground once again.

Frogadier winced as he stood up, noticing that his ankle was sprained. Tristan frowned when he, too, noticed it.

"Are you good to continue, Frogadier?" the teen asked worriedly. Frogadier flashed his trainer a thumbs up and kept his focus on Braixen, who had chosen not to move. Tristan's mind went into analysis mode. He tried to think of a strategy that could work. He was good at thinking of them, right? Suddenly the teen's sapphire hues lit up with excitement. Tristan grinned. _This will work._

"Frogadier, charge!" Frogadier nodded, knowing to trust his trainer no matter how stupid his ideas seemed to be. Monica, too, knew not to underestimate the seemingly stupid call.

"Psybeam!" the blond requested. Braixen twirled the twig that she was holding and let loose another beam, but Frogadier launched himself over it with ease and landed a few feet from the fire type.

"Now use Lick and follow up with Water Pulse!" Tristan screamed while throwing his arm to the side dramatically. Frogadier's tongue extended like a bullet and wrapped around Braixen's leg, tripping the fox. Frogadier's tongue reeled in, bringing his fire type opponent with it. The ninja frog pulled his arm back and then slammed a ball of water into Braixen's torso while simultaneously releasing her from his grip.

Braixen was forced into the ground by the brutal attack and kicked up sand upon her impact. Braixen coughed violently and spat out sand just like Skiddo had, but found herself unable to stand; her strength was gone. Frogadier began to respectfully back away, allowing the fox time to regain her energy. Monica was panicking secretly, trying to figure out how to win. Suddenly an idea made its way into her mind. It was crazy, but it had the potential to work.

"Light Screen behind Frogadier!" the blond instructed. Frogadier began to back up at an increased pace, unsure of what the attack did. The ninja frog yelped in pain as he hit the back of his head on a solid yellow wall of energy. The sudden move caused the water type to lose his balance, giving Monica time to issue another attack.

"End it with Psybeam!" she screamed. Braixen, though exhausted, mustered the strength to send the psychic attack rocketing towards Frogadier. The equally fatigued Pokémon took the attack head on and fell backwards in the sand with his eyes closed. Tristan's jaw dropped and Monica began to cheer; Frogadier was down and out.

Both trainers returned their Pokémon with nothing but praise to say and met each other in the middle of the battlefield.

"Holy crap! That was really close!" Tristan exclaimed, "And you and your Pokémon made some serious plays." Monica blushed slightly from the praise.

"Thanks. You're team battled phenomenally as well. And, to top it all off, you now have a Gogoat!" Monica pointed out. Tristan grinned.

"Yep. A solid battle overall. But, next time I'll win for sure," Tristan boasted playfully. Monica laughed at the remark.

"We'll see about that! So, uh, can we go back now? I don't want to get sun-" The teenage girl shrieked as Dash made contact with her sunburnt back. The tall trainer laughed his head off as the furious girl chased him all the way back to the Pokémon Center.

**X-X-X-X**

**That's a wrap, ladies and gents! Tristan and Monica got to exchange stories, and Monica learned a bit more about Dash, who has a sad past indeed.**

**On the bright side, the trio enjoyed a day at the beach. However, a certain obnoxious (and stereotypical, perhaps) male showed up to ruin Monica's day. But, he was stomped by Dash. Yay! XD**

**And then finally there was the epic and extremely close battle between Monica and Tristan. Both sides fought hard, but Monica took the cake in the end!**

**So, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, which is the longest so far, by the way. These chapters will start to be a bit longer on average, as I like doing a bit more content. Oh, I almost forgot something! It's summer time! I'll be able to write more frequently, I would imagine. Prepare for some more chapters (I hope)! Anyway, have a good day!**

_Tristan's Team:_

_Chansey – Level 28 – Wish, Protect, Healing Wish, Seismic Toss_

_Gogoat – Level 34 – Bulldoze, Seed Bomb, Razor Leaf, Bulk Up_

_Frogadier – Level 33 – Water Pulse, Lick, Quick Attack, Smack Down_

_Diggersby – Level 33 – Double Slap, Double Kick, Quick Attack, Mud Shot_

_Manectric – Level 34 – Discharge, Thunder Fang, Quick Attack, Bite_

**Last minute questions!**

**#1 – Who did you expect to win the battle between Monica and Tristan?**

**#2 – Thoughts on the scene at the beginning (Monica and Tristan talking)?**

**#3 – Do you have any predictions for next chapter?**


	17. Chapter 17 - The Tower of Mastery

**Hello all! I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter, a chapter that featured Monica, Dash and Tristan together. We learned a bit about our trio and saw some pretty close battles…**

** ElTorro – I noticed that you reviewed extremely quickly. Dang dude. XD Anyway, I'm glad that you liked the battles! This was supposed to show that Dash is still no pushover, and that Monica is a very capable trainer just like the other two. As for Skiddo evolving, it's pretty cool. But, don't jump to conclusions about personality just yet… As for your questions, Diggersby is great. Also, I'm glad to see that you thought the beginning wasn't off in any way (at least not too much). I tried not to make it that way. And I'm just going to say it now: number three's not correct. This seems like a long response. *****Cough* Thanks for the review!**

** FlameStriker123 – I'm glad that you like the chapters that feature all three! I enjoy writing them, so I hope that any reader enjoys them, lighthearted or not (because they're not all going to be lighthearted. What's a story without conflict?) And you're not supposed to like Rick anyway, haha. :P As for the questions: I hope you enjoyed the battle. I can't always have Tristan win, though. The battle was close and they both tried their best. Either way it's still some training. (No? Okay…) Are Dash and Monica siblings? Mayyybbbeeee… As for the third question, continue reading! Thanks for the review!**

… **Dash **_**also**_** mentioned that Korrina wanted something. What could she want with our trio? Find out now! Hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 17 – The Tower of Mastery**

The leader of Deivis smiled behind their solid black mask and leaned back in their office chair, ruminating about the numerous events in the near future. Soon, _oh _so soon, their goal would be complete. _Speaking of upcoming events… _The ambitious leader leaned forward and pressed a button on their desk and cleared their throat, as they were making an announcement to a particular admin.

"Josh, be in my office within five minutes. That is all," they stated with brevity.

True to his leader's orders, Josh entered the office very soon after. He knew better than to make them mad, after all. The new admin walked calmly to the front of his leader's desk and sat down when they motioned for him to do so.

"You wanted something, boss?" Josh inquired respectfully. The wary admin watched as the head of Deivis' shoulders slumped, and the young adult tensed up. Much to his relief, however, they did not seem angry in the slightest.

"Truth be told, I've grown tired of you three referring to me as 'boss' or 'sir', or anything along those lines. Seeing how much closer we are to our goals, whether you know it or not, has made me elated to some extent. With those two combined, I have no compunction with telling you my name. I would like you and the other two admins to refer to me as Jordan from now on…" Jordan paused to stretch and yawn beneath their mask before continuing, "So, with that out of the way, I would like to ask something of you." Josh's face showed no expression other than shock. He was still trying to understand why the leader of Deivis was attempting to be more… personal.

"What would you like me to do, boss – er, I mean, uh, Jordan?" Josh wondered aloud, fumbling over his words. Jordan grinned a toothy grin, though Josh was not aware of it.

"I'd like you to pay an old friend a visit. You wouldn't mind, would you?" Josh chuckled; knowing full well whom his leader was referring to.

"With pleasure… Now, when do I need to visit this _friend_?" Josh quizzed, memories of his last encounter with this person being catapulted to the forefront of his mind.

"Later tonight will do, perhaps around eight. It will give you enough time to prepare as well as eat dinner. I'm sure you know what to do when you see our old friend, correct?" Josh grinned and cracked his knuckles.

"Oh yeah. I'm gonna give that kid Tristan a run for his money this time!"

**X-X-X-X**

Monica and mornings didn't mix well. Monica would burn mornings to the ground if she could; she liked sleep, after all.

"But nooo!" the blond grumbled to herself as she brushed her hair, "Dash just _had _to knock super loudly on the door and wake me up! Korrina can wait, dang it…" The teenager continued to mutter to herself as she finished preparing for the day. After checking to see that she had everything in her bag as well as her belt of Poké Balls, Monica opened the door to her rented room and stepped into the hallway.

Within a few moments, the blond found herself at the end of said hallway. Monica turned, entered the lobby of the Pokémon Center, and walked over to where Dash and Tristan were sitting. The two guys greeted her with nods and waves as she sat down, and Dash wasted no time in talking.

"Okay so here's the thing: Korrina wants to meet us at eight-o-clock, which is in about an hour. She didn't tell me what for, she just told me to do it. We'll be meeting her at that tower in the back of the city. I'm sure it'll be super cool!" The tall trainer cut his self off and gasped for air.

"You need to slow down when you talk, I can barely understand you. You talk too much as is," Monica opined with a grouchy tone. Dash feigned sadness at these words and clutched his chest where his heart was. Tristan chuckled at his friends' typical morning banter and took a sip of water.

"He's saying that we're meeting Korrina in roughly an hour at the Tower of Mastery. It's at the back of the city," Tristan clarified. Monica uttered a 'thank you' before focusing on the cup of coffee she had just received.

"Anyway, we'll be heading over there before you know it. Try not to take too long, shorty," Dash said with a grin. Monica's eyebrow twitched, and the grumpy teen tacitly whacked the African American jokester on the head.

_How can they stand travelling with each other? _Tristan pondered with amusement, _I guess it doesn't matter at this point in time. They've travelled for this long, so it must not be a big problem. Anyway, I wonder what Korrina has in store for us…?_

**X-X-X-X**

Strangely similar to what Dash had voiced at the Pokémon Center, the hour that the trio had until eight-o-clock had disintegrated into mere minutes. Not wanting to be late, the trio had already initiated their walk to their meeting place. Dash had been talking almost non-stop on the way to the tower, easily irking Monica, who was still in her "morning mood". The girl counted herself lucky when the talkative teen next to her ceased his chatter, and instead gaped like a fish at the large structure before him.

"Wow, the Tower of Mastery looks really cool!" Dash exclaimed simply. Despite her annoyed state, Monica had to agree with him. Tristan nodded his agreement as well.

The Tower of Mastery was a building that easily towered over the entire city. Large, red brick walls that were lined with stone at the top surrounded the tower. The building itself was primarily the same brick as the wall, and had stone pillars and other accents on the sides. The sight of the great building filled the three trainers with anticipation. Dash began to increase his walking speed exponentially, which forced Monica and Tristan to chase after him.

The eager trio of trainers reached the entrance to the tower within a minute thanks to a certain _someone_. Tristan took the lead and opened the wooden door in front of him, waving his two friends into the tower. The trio stepped through the doorway and onto the bottom floor of the tower; the three were surprised to see Korrina speaking to another person.

"We're going to have to be more careful from here on out, remember that," Korrina reminded the person next to her. The young man next to the gym leader chuckled.

"You don't have to remind _me_ of that, you know. I'm arguably doing more than you are at this point, remember?" he countered. Korrina shrugged.

"Eh, I guess you're right. Really though, be careful out there. We can't let _them _ruin our plans." The young man nodded and turned to exit the tower to be faced with Tristan, Monica and Dash. A look of mild surprise dawned his features, though he was silently freaking out in the back of his mind, hoping that the three in front of him didn't ask any questions.

"Well, if it isn't Tristan! I didn't expect to see you here!" Tristan was equally surprised.

"Huh, I thought our next meeting would be a while from now, Blade," Tristan responded with a grin. Monica and Dash raised their eyebrows.

"You know each other?" Monica inquired.

"Yep! I ran into Blade in Lumiose City, and his beast of a Pawniard smacked me around. We've battled a few times by now, and he's always been a tough opponent," Tristan explained. The dark haired teen nodded.

"Exactly. Well, I would love to stay and chat, but I've got some business to take care of. I'll see you all later!" Blade waved and stuck his hands in his pockets before spinning on his heel and exiting swiftly, thankful for a lack of questions.

"Interesting guy…" Monica mused.

"Once you get to know him a bit more you'll like him. I mean, I don't really _know _him or anything, but I've talked with him enough to see what he's like," Tristan assured the girl. Korrina followed his statement with a laugh.

"He's certainly a character! Well, I'm sure you all are wondering why I've gathered you here, right?" the gym leader quizzed.

Dash didn't hesitate to respond with loud vocals. Korrina grinned at the teen's excitement.

"Great! Well, you'll have to excuse me for a second while I, uh… HEY GRAMPA! WE HAVE VISITORS!" Korrina bellowed.

A few minutes of awkward silence passed before a thin, old man walked down the stairs. He wore a light blue pullover shirt with red trim on the bottom, and pants of like color. Korrina's grandfather appeared to be bald, but sported large, white eyebrows that looked more like the sides of a mustache. He had gray hues just like his granddaughter, which had a youthful gleam to them.

The senior walked forward and extended his hand to the trio, and they all shook it.

"Hello there! My name's Gurkinn, and I'm Korrina's grandfather, as I'm sure you guessed. Korrina informed me that you have all defeated her in battle, and are also trainers who have been given a Poké Dex, is that correct?" The three nodded slowly.

"Good! So, with that being said, I'm about to show you three something. It's very likely that this will completely change your experience as a trainer. Have any on you heard of mega evolution?" Gurkinn wondered. He received a blank stare from Dash and heads that shook 'no' from Tristan and Monica.

"Well," the old man began, "mega evolution is the transformation of Pokémon that were thought to be unable to evolve any further! It's a whole new level of power! There's a reason why I used the word 'transformation' a moment ago. Mega evolution differs from evolution because it ends after a certain amount of time. In other words, it's a temporary evolution." This explanation greatly intrigued the three youth before Gurkinn.

"To make mega evolution work," the senior continued, "you need two items: a mega stone for the Pokémon and the mega ring, which has a mysterious stone set in it, for the trainer. Since Professor Sycamore entrusted each one of you with a Pokédex, I would like to give these items to all of you..."

Gurkinn fished in his pocket and held his hand out moments later. Three black bands rested in his open palm, and each of them had a small circular jewel embedded in them.

"Those are the mega rings, right?" Monica quizzed. Gurkinn nodded.

"Yes they are. I want you three to each take one," he explained. Monica, Tristan, and Dash did so without hesitation.

"Now, mega evolution is a very powerful force. But, not every Pokémon is able to undergo the process. You'll have to see if any of your Pokémon can mega evolve, and find the stone accordingly. But, I can _never _stress this enough..." Gurkinn paused and coughed into his elbow before continuing.

"Mega Evolution requires a _very _strong bond between trainer and Pokémon. If your bond is not strong enough, you won't be able to begin the process. If your bond is strong enough, it is still possible that the energy created when undergoing the transformation will overwhelm your Pokémon, causing them to faint or go berserk. Always exercise caution," Gurkinn warned.

This new information caused the three trainers to glance at the bands that they held in their hands. The thing that they held in their hands contributed to so much power, but could also contribute to so much pain if something went wrong. Was it a risk worth taking? Surely it was! Gurkinn sighed and coughed once again into his elbow.

"Well, that's all I've got for you. Just remember, mega evolution is a great thing as long as your bond with your Pokémon remains strong. It's something to be responsible with. And, if I recall correctly, Professor Sycamore himself recommended you all for this. So, don't take that for granted. Well, I'm heading back up now. Good bye, all!" Gurkinn smiled for a brief moment and began to walk up the stairs, waving as he went.

"Mega evolution is so cool…" Dash breathed. Tristan and Monica agreed through silent nods.

"If you can master mega evolution, you'll go far, I'm sure of it!" Korrina exclaimed. Monica beamed and bowed respectfully before speaking up.

"Thank you so much! Well, I think it's time for us to depart!"

"No problem! Take care, you three!" Korrina said with a curt wave. Catching wind of their departure, Tristan made a last second decision.

"I'll, uh, meet you guys at the Pokémon Center soon, alright?" the teen offered hastily. Monica was about to question the brown-haired teen when Dash gripped her shoulder and walked with her out of the tower. Tristan tacitly thanked his friend.

"I'm assuming you want to talk to me," Korrina stated bluntly.

"Nah, I just want your money," Tristan countered sarcastically. The trainer quickly continued before the gym leader could get mad.

"Anyway, I've got an interesting Pokémon, and there's something about him that's been bugging me…" Tristan reached for a Poké Ball and tossed it into the air, releasing his Frogadier. Upon the frog's entry, Korrina gasped.

"It's because it's shiny! Wow, those are so rare! How did you get so lucky?" Korrina gushed. Tristan chuckled.

"Heck if I know… But, that's not what the issue is. I get that Frogadier's shiny, which is still really crazy. But, there's something else, and I'm not sure what it is…" Tristan explained. Korrina stroked her imaginary beard and began to think of the possibilities.

"I have an idea. Try checking Frogadier's data on the Pokédex! It should tell you almost everything about him!" Korrina suggested. Tristan palmed his face. Why did he not think of that? The teen quickly grabbed the electronic device and pointed it at Frogadier.

"Okay, let's see… Water type, level thirty-three, is shiny… Wait, what's Protean?" Tristan asked in perplexity. Korrina's jaw dropped again.

"It has Protean?!" the blond screamed.

"Uh, yeah…?" Tristan responded, not sure how to react. Korrina shook her head and laughed.

"You're seriously lucky, kid. You know about STAB, right?" the gym leader asked.

"Yeah. Moves of your type do more damage," he responded.

"Well," Korrina began, "Protean changes the user's type to whatever move it uses. So, your Frogadier changes to a normal type if it uses Quick Attack, and then to ghost if it uses Lick, which effectively gives it STAB on all attacks! That's crazy! Your Frogadier is shiny _and _has a rare ability! I'm jealous at how cool it is."

Frogadier blushed at the statement and rubbed the back of his head, and all Tristan could do was glance at Korrina, and then back at Frogadier.

"That is seriously awesome. Who knew you had that kind of power, Frogadier?" Frogadier replied with a simple shrug. _This just made things a lot more interesting… _Tristan mused.

The brown haired trainer returned Frogadier and thanked Korrina hurriedly before departing. He was too excited about what he had just learned.

**X-X-X-X**

Tristan grumbled as he tossed and turned in his bed. The Pokémon Center's rentable rooms had comfortable beds, sure, but he couldn't sleep.

"I guess I'm still too excited about Frogadier's ability and mega evolution," the teenager concluded with a chuckle. Suddenly, an idea occurred to the restless teen, and said idea caused him to hop out of bed immediately.

"Some late night training never hurt any body…" he muttered as he donned his belt of Poké Balls. After checking to make sure that he had everything needed for his excursion, Tristan silently exited the door to his room and strolled out of the Pokémon Center.

**X-X-X-X**

A lone figure clad in black watched a trainer silently from afar. They watched said trainer, who appeared to be a youth, as they exited the Pokémon Center and began walking towards the beach. The solitary person smirked.

"You better watch yourself, Tristan. I won't have a repeat of last time, you can count on that."

**X-X-X-X**

Tristan wiped his brow as he ordered Frogadier to launch another attack at a nearby boulder. The teen grinned along with his starter as the attack easily crushed the rocky structure, causing bits and pieces of stone to fall to the sandy ground.

"Good job, Frogadier," Tristan praised while exhaling. "I think that's enough training for now, though. I don't know about you, but I'm starting to get tired." The water type nodded, his fatigue very evident in his facial expressions. Tristan reached for the ninja frog's Poké Ball and smiled.

"Thanks for your hard work, Frogadier, now get some rest." The familiar red beam from the spherical device made contact with the water type, immediately sucking it inside. After that, all was quiet. Tristan ran a hand through his hair as he walked to his backpack that was a few feet away, silently berating his self for staying up for so long.

_But, if it weren't for this late night venture, I wouldn't have been able to see the beach again, _the trainer mused. Truth be told, he did enjoy the beach. There was something about the feeling of the sand beneath his feet combined with the sound of the waves crashing to the shore that he truly enjoyed. However, the sound he loved so dearly was cut off by the sound of… clapping?

The brown haired youth whirled around to see a man slightly taller than him approaching the shore a few feet away. From what Tristan could see, the man was wearing all black and had the hair to match. He was still clapping.

This stranger turned to face the puzzled teen with a smirk plastered on his face.

"It seems that you've gotten stronger since we've last met, kid," the dark haired man piped up. Tristan's eyes widened in realization, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"What are you doing here, Josh?" Josh chuckled and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh, you know, I'm just stopping by. I figured I would smack you around while I was here," was the reply. With that being said, Josh reached for a Poké Ball and began to toss and catch the device repeatedly.

"I want a regular battle. We'll both use two Pokémon, deal? Good. Now hurry up, kid, I've got some sleeping to do," Josh insisted. Tristan took many steps away from the man and plucked a Poké Ball from his belt. _I'm not exactly in a position to refuse. Plus, battling's a fun thing in the first place._

"If you say so! Gogoat, it's time!" Tristan cried while tossing a Poké Ball into the air. The red and white object opened with a flash of light, and Gogoat dropped onto the sandy ground. Josh smirked.

"Drifblim, let's go!" A strange, blimp-like creature began to float in front of Josh. Most of its body was dark purple in color, while the bottom portion was a much lighter shade or purple. Four arm-like appendages protruded from the creature's lower body. Tristan continued to observe the strange looking Pokémon and noticed a yellow 'X' on the creature's face along with two small, red eyes. A small, puffy cloud was perched on the Pokémon's head.

_That's an interesting Pokémon to say the least… I think that this thing's a ghost type, so that means no normal or fighting moves. Not a problem for Gogoat, _Tristan mused.

The intrigued trainer was about to issue a command when he noticed his grass type friend stamp his hooves on the ground and swell up with pride. Tristan rolled his eyes.

"And here I was thinking that maybe, just maybe, you had gotten over your feeling of superiority…" Tristan muttered to his self. The teen shook his head; it was time to battle.

"Gogoat, start with Bulk Up!" Tristan barked. Gogoat immediately widened his stance and harbored a faint red glow. His muscles began to tense up, adding to the grass type's offensive and defensive prowess.

"Two can play at the stats game! Drifblim, Stockpile!" The floating creature began to draw in energy from the air, allowing said energy to wash over its body like waves. Drifblim's frame was surrounded by streaks of light, signifying a boost in stats.

"Time for a new approach! Gogoat, Razor Leaf!" The sharp projectiles flew from out of Gogoat's back in an instant and pelted Drifblim's body, causing the ghost type to shriek. Josh ordered the blimp to float out of the way before snappily ordering a Will-O-Wisp. Small orbs of purple fire orbited Drifblim for a short period of time, but they were quickly flung at Gogoat.

"Dodge!" Tristan shouted. The command was performed with ease, rendering the Will-O-Wisp useless. Gogoat began to charge his floating opponent, kicking up mass amounts of sand as he did so. Drifblim simply floated higher, laughing at Gogoat's inability to reach it. Tristan grinned as Gogoat placed himself directly beneath the ghost type.

"Seed Bomb!" The explosive rounds were catapulted from Gogoat's leafy back, all of them striking Drifblim. The blimp shrieked again as it crashed to the ground. Josh growled.

"Shake it off, Drifblim! Let's try - !" The man silenced himself abruptly, turning his gaze to the city countless yards away. The being in black clothing cursed under his breath and returned his ghost type ally.

"I would stay around to crush you, kid, but it seems that this little tussle has attracted some unwanted attention. You better watch your back, kid, because I'll come back to fight you one day! Not just me, but the higher ups of Deivis, too!" Josh warned. Hastily, the Deivis admin donned a black mask and threw a Poké Ball down.

"Haze!"

Tristan closed his eyes as smoke arose from thin air, coughing all the while. When he was able to open his eyes again, Josh was gone.

"… What just happened?" Tristan wondered aloud.

**X-X-X-X**

**I'm asking the same thing, Tristan, I'm asking the same thing…**

**Anyway, that was chapter 17! The trio received a brief explanation of mega evolution, and they were all given mega rings. Afterwards, Tristan learned about Frogadier's ability: Protean. (A very awesome ability, I might add).**

**But, the chapter didn't end there. After a large time skip, we find Tristan unable to sleep. So, he goes to train with Frogadier on the beach. But, Josh, who wants revenge for his loss, interrupts him. In the middle of battle, Josh decides to throw up a smoke screen and escape, as the battle had attracted unwanted attention. With a day and night filled with interesting and weird events, what could happen next? Who knows? (Besides me XD)**

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this. I'm sorry about this being so late. To be honest, I meant to put this chapter on the website before I left on my weeklong trip, but I did a not-so-wonderful thing called procrastination. Sorry guys. :) So, make sure to leave honest feedback and such (stuff like: "This wasn't worth the wait because _", or "It was worth the wait because _")**

_Tristan's Team:_

_Chansey – Level 28 – Wish, Protect, Seismic Toss, Healing Wish_

_Gogoat – Level 35 – Bulk Up, Razor Leaf, Seed Bomb, Bulldoze_

_Frogadier – Level 34 – Water Pulse, Quick Attack, Lick, Smack Down_

_Diggersby – Level 33 – Quick Attack, Double Kick, Double Kick, Mud Shot_

_Manectric – Level 34 – Thunder Fang, Quick Attack, Bite, Discharge_


	18. Chapter 18 - Wish Upon a Staravia!

**Ayy! How are you all doing? I hope the answer is something along the lines of "well". Anyway, it's time for another chapter, which you **_**should **_**be reading a day or two after the 4****th**** of July for Americans. (If you're not American, awesome! I hope you had a good day anyway!) So, new chapter hype! This chapter will be a slight follow-up of last chapter, so if you haven't read it do so. Let's get started! Oh, wait, there's a thing called reviews… I should probably respond to those.**

** ElTorro – Yes, the amazing shiny and protean combo! Also, you are most definitely correct! Mega evolution will be a powerful tool, assuming that Tristan can master it. And if he does, hopefully he can use it to take down Josh. Will he? You'll have to find out later. So, thanks for the review! (I give you extra points for the intro that reminded me of Scooby-Doo, by the way).**

** FlameStriker123 – Protean indeed! The ability is tricky to master at first, but as long as you know your type chart and what moves your opponent has, you should be fine. Also, you're correct in regards to Manectric. He's the only one on the team who is able to mega evolve, but as of now he is not able to. As for your question: Tristan will not catch a dragon type, no. Thanks for the review!**

**So, chapter time!**

**Chapter 18 – Wish Upon a Staravia!**

The sun was just now starting to show itself, only a part of it visible on the horizon. The large ball of fire gave the ocean a beautiful glow, and the effect was amplified by the dark, early morning sky. It was this setting that greeted Tristan, Dash and Monica as they sat quietly in the corner of Shalour City's Pokémon Center.

But, weirdly enough, everyone seemed to have their morning personalities swapped. Monica was being oddly talkative, and Dash less so. Tristan, well, he was less than eager to do or say anything, as he had the longest night of them all. However, that didn't stop his female friend from asking questions.

"So what the heck went down last night? I was sleeping when I heard a lot of explosions. Apparently Dash did too, because we both ran out of the Pokémon Center and towards the beach…" Monica trailed off, hoping for an answer. Tristan yawned.

"Last night I had a hard time falling asleep, so I decided to head to the beach and get in some training. It was the only thing I could think of that would work. While I was there, Josh showed up again…" Tristan was cut off by a gasp from Monica and Dash both.

"You mean that one guy from the woods?" Dash questioned. Tristan nodded before continuing.

"Yeah, the same guy. He showed up and wanted revenge for the last time we met. And, let me be the first to say, he's gotten much stronger. So, during the battle I had Gogoat use Seed Bomb, which is probably what woke you up. After that Josh decided to leave, as he noticed that people were approaching the beach. He warned me that he would be back, and also warned me about some group called Deivis. After that he left," Tristan finished explaining. The two teens across from him were silent for a few moments.

"Weird… I've never heard of Deivis. But, judging by Josh's actions, I'd say that they're another crime group kind of like Team Rocket from years back. And Josh said that he'd be back, as well as Deivis? Geez…" Monica muttered.

"So you've got a criminal organization or something after you… Why?" Dash wondered aloud. Tristan shrugged.

"Heck if I know," the brown haired trainer responded. Monica raised an eyebrow.

"You're awfully calm about this," the blond remarked. Tristan chuckled.

"Well, from what I've seen from Josh, Deivis isn't something to worry about yet. Plus, I have you guys to travel with." Tristan's remark garnered two nods of agreement. It was around this time that Dash rose up from his chair and stretched before walking towards the door.

"Speaking of travelling, I think it's time to get on the road! Come on, let's get going!" Dash iterated with excitement. Monica palmed her face at the African American's energy but found herself chuckling.

"Alright, alright, we'll go soon. Let me get my stuff though." The blond rushed back to her room. Tristan mirrored her actions. The brown haired teen reached the back of the Pokémon Center, the location of the rentable rooms, and approached the door that led to his room. A thought resurfaced in his mind as he walked through the doorway. The question had been nagging him for the past hour or so, and he hated it.

_Right before he left, Josh put on a black mask. Have I seen that mask before? I feel like I have… It seems like I'll never figure out the answer though._

Tristan reached for his bag that was propped against the wall and put it over his shoulder with a sigh.

"I'll have to think about the answer later, I guess…" he murmured. Shaking his head, the teen rushed into the lobby and began walking alongside his two friends, abandoning the nagging thought and replacing it with an eagerness to see what was in store for him on the next route.

**X-X-X-X**

Upon entering the route, Tristan immediately noticed that there was a problem, and his blue eyes widened slightly.

"Uh, guys? You might want to see this…" the teen mentioned with a hint of worry in his voice. Perplexed, Monica and Dash walked beside him.

"What's…? Oh, that's no fun," Monica said in an annoyed tone. Before the trio sat a fairly large river that led out to sea. The route continued on the other side of the river, but the trick was reaching the other side in the first place. Dash shrugged.

"Not a big deal. Here, let's try this…" The normally talkative trainer trailed off as he plucked a Poké Ball from his belt.

"Let's go, Aerodactyl!" Dash cried as he tossed the spherical device into the air. Suddenly, a large winged reptile materialized. It was primarily gray, but had purple membranes on its wings. The fossil Pokémon screeched and began to fly circles around the trio. Monica gave Dash a light punch in the arm.

"You didn't tell me that you had an Aerodactyl! When did you get it?" Monica quizzed. The dark skinned trainer chuckled.

"When we took that detour to Ambrette Town, I visited the nearby cave. I ended up finding an old amber, which became Aerodactyl. Apparently it was a lucky find, too." Tristan shook his head and chuckled alongside his friend.

"Well, I'm not going to complain! I'm assuming we're getting across the river one at a time on Aerodactyl's back, correct?" Tristan wondered aloud. Dash nodded as confirmation.

"Exactly. Aerodactyl, go ahead and carry Tristan across, please," Dash ordered. The prehistoric Pokémon nodded and landed, allowing Tristan to hop on its back. The two arrived on the other side of the river in a matter of seconds. Within the next minute Aerodactyl had delivered the remaining two trainers to the other side of the river. Dash returned the rock type gratefully.

"Now, imagine if Dash didn't have Aerodactyl…" Tristan stated with a half smile. Monica shook her head.

"I don't even want to think about what would've happened if he didn't…" Monica couldn't help but smile, though, at the thought of them stuck on one side of the river. Monica looked down the route to see Dash already running there.

"Come on you two!" the energetic teen called, "Let's get moving! Especially you, shorty!"

Tristan glanced at Monica and laughed out loud, seeing her reaction to being called short was amusing after all, no matter how many times he saw it. But, there was something that he hadn't seen before, and it surprised him.

Monica sighed and tied her hair up into a ponytail, handed Tristan her bag, tied her shoes, and then stood up smiling.

"I'll be back," the girl stated simply. Confused, Tristan tilted his head to the side. Without another word, Monica sprinted away. The brown haired teen would never forget the day that Monica hunted Dash down and tackled him for calling her short.

**X-X-X-X**

The group had been travelling for about an hour or so when they decided to stop in a wide-open area with large patches of grass nearby. Sadly, said field was one of the most interesting things along the route. The trio had yet to encounter anything of interest, save for the ranch where you could pet, feed, and ride on the backs of Skiddo. Monica brought to mind the part of their short stay when Tristan's Gogoat had a grand time showing off in front of the Skiddo.

"Speaking of the ranch…" Tristan muttered as he brought his hand to his side, "I think I'll let all of my Pokémon out for a bit." Five Poké Balls were tossed into the air, each opening with flashes of light. Tristan's team dropped onto the grassy terrain and immediately began to run around, roll in the grass, and explore the open area, as they were eager to escape their Poké Balls for the time being.

"I think I'll do the same! Come on, everyone!" Monica tossed several Poké Balls into the air, and Tristan grinned when he saw her team.

"That looks like a solid team if you ask me," Tristan complimented. Monica smiled.

"Thanks! These four have worked hard, and I'm proud of them." Her team of Sylveon, Malamar, Braixen, and a bird Pokémon that Tristan had never seen before all smiled and gave their trainer a hug. Tristan raised an eyebrow.

"And that's…?" Monica looked over to her fourth Pokémon, who was calmly perched on the ground, and gave the Pokémon a pat on the head.

"This is Staravia. I think they're native to Sinnoh, but apparently you can find a small amount here in Kalos. I was super excited to find him, since he's kind of rare and so cool looking. Also, I told myself from the start that a flying type was a must have," Monica explained. Tristan whistled and nodded his head.

"Awesome stuff. So, Dash, what about you?" Tristan quizzed his childhood friend. The tall teen grinned.

"I thought you'd never ask! Here they are!" Five Pokémon appeared before Dash. One of them was a puffy, cotton candy like creature that immediately started licking Dash. Another seemed to be two swords crossing each other. The remaining three were Aerodactyl, Jolteon, and a large shelled animal, which Tristan recognized to be a Chesnaught.

"Dang dude! You have a Chesnaught? Also, I'm assuming that's Honedge's evolved form Duoblade, right?" Tristan wondered in awe. Dash grinned.

"You bet! Honedge evolved into Doublade here a while ago, and Chesnaught here evolved just yesterday, actually. Oh, and this little guy, the one that licked my face, is Swirlix. He's an energetic little guy, to say the least." Monica laughed silently.

"A perfect match, those two," the blond said quietly. Tristan chuckled at this. It was then that Tristan had an idea.

"You know what? I've never seen you two battle each other! If you're up for it, I'll referee a battle between you two," Tristan offered. Dash glanced at Monica and then back at Tristan and smirked.

"It _has _been a while since we've battled… I'm all for it!" Dash shouted with excitement. Monica brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face and adopted a look of determination.

"Let's do it!"

**X-X-X-X**

Tristan cleared his throat and approached the sideline of the makeshift battlefield before him.

"Alright! This battle will be a four on four battle between Dash and Monica! Each trainer is allowed one and only one substitution. That last team standing wins! We'll begin with Monica having the first move!" Dash and Monica both reached for a Poké Ball and threw it into the air simultaneously, beckoning their teammates onto the battlefield.

"Doublade, let's battle!" Dash shouted.

"Malamar, help me out!" The dark purple squid creature dropped onto the ground and glared at its ghost type opponent, who didn't react. All was silent for a few moments, but Monica's voice rang in Malamar's ears soon enough.

"Night Slash!" the blond cried. The calamari creature rushed forward with its main tentacles shrouded in pitch-black energy, seemingly ready to cleave its sword opponent in two. Surprisingly, Doublade did just that.

"Split and Slash!" Dash countered as he threw his hand to the side. The sword Pokémon's body suddenly split into two different swords and they both began to glow brightly, lunging at Malamar in the process. The two blades cut viciously into the squid's sides, causing it to cry out in pain. Monica bit her lip nervously.

"Knock it away with Night Slash!" the blond screamed desperately.

Malamar's energy coated tentacles suddenly slammed downwards on top of the sword creature's head, causing it to collapse in a heap on the floor. Taking the chance, Malamar retreated back to its side of the field. Doublade slowly levitated off of the ground and pieced itself together again, looking worse for wear.

"Doublade, go for Shadow Sneak!" The ghost type abruptly melted into the dirt as soon as Dash spoke, which greatly alarmed Monica. Where was Doublade? The girl's question was answered when Doublade popped up out of the ground and rammed into Malamar, damaging the calamari creature further. Monica frowned.

_I haven't been able to damage Doublade in the slightest! He can weave around Malamar with Shadow Sneak and split into two different swords if I get too close. I want to switch but I'll work with what I have, _thought the blond in frustration.

"Malamar, Psycho Cut!" Monica barked as she pointed at Dash's Pokémon. Obediently, Malamar's tentacle began to shine a bright pink color. The appendage was flung forward, causing a large crescent of pink energy to soar through the air.

"Destroy it with Slash!" Dash countered with a grin. Malamar's attack was destroyed easily by Slash, though the psychic attack was powerful enough to explode on contact and create smoke. Monica grinned.

"Now, rush in and land Night Slash!" Dash's eyes widened as he witnessed the opposing dark and psychic type burst through the smoke and bash Doublade over the head. The sentient sword had no time to dodge the swift attack, and Malamar's assault caused it to fall face first to the ground. Surprisingly, Doublade never got back up. A shocked Dash returned Doublade with a shaky hand, his confidence starting to waver.

_Malamar must've scored a critical hit or something, because the first Night Slash didn't do __**that**__ much damage… Hmm. This could be bad, as none of my Pokémon are immune to her attacks anymore. I guess this will have to do! _Dash pondered.

"Jolteon, let's battle!" Dash summoned his feline-like friend to the battlefield and smiled as the electric type gave him a look of confidence. The dark haired teen was about to speak when Monica issued a command.

"Superpower!" the blond barked. Dash retained his composure, as he had seen the powerful attack multiple times. Malamar surrounded itself in a crimson aura and blitzed Jolteon, but a simple command from Dash rendered the attack ineffective.

The squid ran straight into a ring of thunder that wrapped around its body and faded away. Malamar continued its death charge towards Jolteon, well, tried to. Static appeared around the creature's frame, signifying paralysis. Dash chuckled.

"Now, Jolteon, Pin Missile!" The electric type crouched low to the ground and pointed its spiky back to the sky. Seconds passed before countless white spears of energy rocketed from Jolteon's back. All of the spears made a beeline for the still paralyzed Malamar, who could do nothing to stop the world of pain that was unleashed upon it. The calamari creature screeched at the top of its lungs as countless super effective hits barraged its frame. The assault was too much for the fatigued Pokémon. Malamar fainted, and Dash congratulated Jolteon as a result.

Monica wasted no time in returning her fallen comrade and gathering another Poké Ball in her hand, but not without congratulating Malamar. The blond smiled in the heat of battle. Dash was being a challenging opponent as always.

"Sylveon, help me out!" The red and white spherical device was tossed into the air and opened to reveal the light pink feline, who smiled cutely and licked its paws. Seeing the fairy type evolution, Dash reached for a Poké Ball.

"Jolteon, that's good for now. Aerodactyl, let's battle!" The recently revealed fossil Pokémon burst from the Poké Ball and roared powerfully, though Sylveon was not fazed.

_And there's his one substitution… _Monica noted. The blond's focus was jerked back to the battle when Dash's voice cut through the air like a knife.

"Iron Head!" Monica gasped as Aerodactyl tucked in his wings and dove straight at Sylveon with a metal-coated head. The Pokémon's speed proved to be too great, and Sylveon had no time to dodge the super effective attack. The fairy type was sent backwards by the attack, but managed to stay on its feet.

"Shake it off and go for Quick Attack!" In an instant, the adorable combatant crouched down and sped along the ground. A moment later, Sylveon leapt into the air and rammed Aerodactyl. The prehistoric creature crashed to the ground from the surprisingly powerful attack, raising multiple questions in the mind of Dash.

"Fly up and use Rock Slide!"

"Dodge that!" Monica cried earnestly. Aerodactyl spread its wings and roared as he caused a seemingly endless wave of rocks to fall from the sky. His pink target darted frantically around the battlefield with Quick Attack, hoping to avoid the rock type's assault. Sylveon managed to make enough ground to place itself under Aerodactyl, but he immediately pointed his head towards the ground and shot like a bullet at Sylveon. With quick thinking, Monica was able to counter.

"Swift straight up!" Sylveon laughed and unleashed a flurry of yellow stars into the air, all of them aimed at Aerodactyl. In a panic, the rock type rolled out of the way and crashed to the ground before he could right his self. Aerodactyl grunted and attempted to push his self off of the ground, but was met with several stars to the back.

"Now use Draining Kiss!" Dash's Pokémon wasn't fast enough when it came to escaping the ground, so it was hit by the draining attack. Aerodactyl screeched in agony as its health was sapped and given to Sylveon.

"One more!" Monica encouraged. Sylveon did so obediently, but this time Aerodactyl was prepared. The winged creature forcefully flapped his wings and shot himself into the air, giving his self enough time to speed towards the fairy type like a bullet.

"Iron Head!" Dash bellowed while throwing his fist forward. Aerodactyl's metal head connected with the pink Pokémon's frame. Sylveon experienced what if felt like to have the wind knocked out of it at that moment. The feline fighter rolled backwards from the force of the attack and stopped at Monica's feet. With a final wheeze, the fairy type fainted from fatigue.

"Thank you, Sylveon, you were great," Monica praised. The blond inhaled deeply and debated inwardly on a Pokémon to pick. Both of them had a bad matchup type-wise against Aerodactyl, which was bad to say the least. Arriving at a conclusion, she held up a Poké Ball.

"Staravia, help me out!" The gray and white bird Pokémon appeared and immediately began flying, ready to begin the battle. Monica wasted no time in issuing an order, knowing that Staravia loved being aggressive.

"Double Team into Steel Wing!" The command was performed almost immediately, and the Starling Pokémon split itself into multiple copies. Every single Staravia spread their wings and dove at Aerodactyl with metal-coated wings. Which one was real? Only time would tell.

"Destroy them all with Rock Slide!" Dash barked, hoping to avoid further damage. Aerodactyl obeyed and began to summon rocks from the sky, hoping to crush every bird. The attack was a success… for the most part. The rocks hit every Staravia _except _the real one, who landed a successful super effective hit to Aerodactyl's skull. The unexpected attack sent Aerodactyl spiraling towards the ground. Dash shouted at the prehistoric Pokémon to right itself, but Aerodactyl was unable to. The rock type fell face first to the ground, unable to get up after the impact. Dash returned Aerodactyl and thanked it for its work.

"A great battle so far, I would say!" Dash opined. Monica smirked.

"You bet it is! But, I'm sorry to say, I can't let you win it – not without a fight!" the blond shot back.

"I expect nothing less! Alright, Jolteon, let's battle!" Once again, the electric type with spiky fur was on the battlefield. Jolteon charged its fur with electricity in anticipation. Seeing this, Monica took action.

"Thank you for your work, Staravia. But, I'll have to let Braixen take the stage!" The fox in yellow fur dropped onto the battlefield with a flick of its tail. Taking its magical stick in hand, Braixen prepared itself for battle.

"Interesting… Jolteon, Thunderbolt!" The feline's fur began to crackle with electricity, and it shot a wicked beam towards Monica's starter. The fire type instinctively erected a yellow barrier of energy, which cut the damage of the powerful attack in half.

"Flame Charge!" Monica instructed hastily. The flame cloaked fox made a mad dash towards Jolteon.

"Thunder Wave!" Dash countered. However, the command proved to be useless. Braixen sped straight forward before weaving around the paralyzing attack. A moment later, the fox rammed into Jolteon, sending the electric type rolling back to Dash. Jolteon immediately hopped back up and shook its fur free of dirt. Dash immediately went on the offensive.

"Pin Missile!" White spears of energy rose from Jolteon's back and rocketed towards Braixen, who took the attack head on and fell to the ground.

"Braixen?" Monica called worriedly. The blond sighed and bit her lip when she realized that her starter was paralyzed. Dash took the opportunity to order another Thunderbolt. The beam raced through the air and connected with the fire type's fur. Braixen screamed as electricity coursed through its veins. The fox fell to its knees as smoke rose from its body.

"I'm sorry, but it has to be done! Pin Missile!" Monica's eyes widened as the attack soared through the air, whistling on the way. The blond screwed her eyes shut.

"Braixen please!" she shouted desperately. It was too late. Jolteon's attack connected with Braixen's still paralyzed body, forcing the fire type onto her back. Braixen was clearly out of it. With a sigh, Monica returned her fallen comrade. Choosing not to dwell on the event, Monica reached for her final Poké Ball.

"Staravia, help me out!" _I need it now more than ever… _the girl added as an afterthought. The Starling Pokémon entered the battlefield for a second time that day, eager to prove itself. The bird turned around and gave Monica a look of confidence, but noticed that his trainer's eyes seemed… different, perhaps. The flying type began to squawk at his trainer, prompting Monica to use the translator on the Pokédex.

"Am I the last one?" the bird inquired. Monica nodded wordlessly.

"How bad is it?" he continued. Monica exhaled.

"You against two Pokémon. One's the Jolteon you see across from you, which is problematic. The other is probably his fully evolved starter Pokémon, who's very strong. It doesn't look great, but we'll fight to the end," she explained. Staravia laughed.

"Don't worry about it! I've got you covered," the bird boasted. Monica smiled at the flying type's bravado.

"I appreciate it, Staravia. I just want your best, and I know you do too." Still Staravia laughed.

"I'll give you much more than that." Confused, Monica tilted her head to the side and looked at Staravia as if he was crazy. The blond was shocked when she witnessed Staravia begin to glow. The avian's body grew in size. Previously short wings and tail feathers became longer. Staravia's feet grew sharp talons, giving it the appearance of a bird of prey. Sharp, red eyes stared at Monica beneath a red-tipped, black crest. The Pokédex buzzed, signaling a change in form.

"You became a Staraptor…? Wow, that's seriously cool! Man, talk about timing! Are you ready to kick butt?" Monica's winged friend smirked.

"Of course."

"Well, I hate to kill the moment, but… Thunderbolt!" Dash shouted. The newly evolved Staraptor flapped its wings towards the ground in a similar fashion to Aerodactyl's maneuver, causing it to shoot into the air. The flying type smiled when he felt the Thunderbolt whiz by his torso, this was going to be fun.

"Now go in for Take Down!" Staraptor tucked in his wings, harbored a bronze sheen, and began to rocket towards Jolteon. The feline rounded off a hasty Thunder Wave in an attempt to slow down the avian's assault, but Staraptor easily dodged without breaking his attack. Jolteon was met face first with the normal type attack moments later, shoving it backwards. Surprisingly enough, Jolteon collapsed right then and there.

"Dang! Thank you, Jolteon. That Staraptor is seriously powerful!" Dash complimented.

"I know, right?" Monica giggled, "I think it was something to do with his ability, but I could be wrong… So, what do you say about getting this show on the road?" Dash grinned.

"Trust me, this will be good. Chesnaught, let's battle!" A rather large mammal appeared on the battlefield. It had large arms with spikes on the back, and an even larger shell that covered its entire backside except for its tail. The intimidating Pokémon punched his open palm and cracked his knuckles.

"Looks like I'll take the first move! Aerial Ace!" Staraptor zipped towards the large creature before it, spinning as it did so. Streaks of air surrounded the avian's frame as the attack was being performed, a testament to the Pokémon's speed. Upon Dash's command, Chesnaught gathered energy in his arm and swung it at the incoming bird. The Hammer Arm attack missed, however, and Staraptor slammed into Chesnaught's unguarded back. The giant stumbled forward, allowing for a follow up Aerial Ace. Chesnaught growled in annoyance.

Dash issued his next order, telling Chesnaught to use Seed Bomb. The three explosive projectiles were catapulted into the air and began to fall to the ground. Monica emphatically threw her arm to the side and instructed Staraptor to make a beeline towards Chesnaught, and the command garnered a smirk from Dash,

"Spiky Shield!" the tall trainer called tactically. Starpator's eyes widened as Chesnaught brought his arms in front of his face and extended the spikes on his arms. The flying type's speed proved to be disadvantageous at that moment, as Starpator had no way of escaping the defensive move. Chesnaught's spikes dug into Staraptor, causing the bird to squawk wildly.

"Now Hammer Arm!" Taking the opportunity before him, Chesnaught gathered energy in his arm and bashed Staraptor's head. The flying type hit the ground in an instant, kicking up a large amount of dirt. Monica hastily called for a retreat in order to give Staraptor enough time to recover from such a damaging attack. The time was short lived, however, on account of Chesnaught's Seed Bomb. Staraptor sped out of harm's way and cloned itself multiple times in the process, hoping to get in a free attack.

"Not this time! Spiky Shield!" Dash countered. The grass type juggernaut raised his defense again, only to regret the move immediately.

"Up!" Monica barked abruptly. Staraptor's wing strength was enough to change direction suddenly, allowing the bird type to be above Chesnaught.

"Aerial Ace into Close Combat!" the blond shouted excitedly. Chesnaught and Dash had no time to react as Monica's avian adversary drilled into Chesnaught's back with Aerial Ace and batter it with countless kicks and slaps. The powerful assault proved to be very effective. Dash's starter grunted in pain and began to stagger, almost falling over. Silence ensued. Nobody dared to speak. Moments later, the giant fell to the ground with an audible thud. Monica cheered and hugged Staraptor tightly.

"And Monica wins!" Tristan concluded. The trio, all laughs and smiles, met in the middle of their makeshift battlefield.

"What a crazy battle! You both put up a fight, that's for sure!" Tristan praised.

"You're telling me! What just happened was insane. In the end, Monica's Staraptor pulled through. That's fine with me, though. You win some and you lose some, right?" was Dash's reply. Monica nodded, still overjoyed about her newest addition to the team.

"A hectic fight indeed! I'm so glad to have Staraptor, too." Tristan and Dash voiced their agreement.

"Well, as awesome as that was, I'm ready to move on. Are you two ready?" Tristan probed.

"You bet I am!" Dash and Monica said in unison. Tristan chuckled.

"Good. Let's get going."

**X-X-X-X**

**There you have it, folks! Another chapter! This is probably one of my favorites so far because of the battle. A four on four between Monica and Dash is nothing to sneeze at. So, chapter aside, I do have another thing to say.**

**Sorry for the late chapter (again). I could provide reasons, but they're really closer to excuses. XD But, I'm glad to post this. I will say this: I'm going on vacation for a week and a half or so. I should be able to check on other stories, etc., but I will (most likely) be unable to post anything for a week and a half. Sorry. :(**

**Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Make sure to tell me what you thought of the battle, since that's the biggest part of the chapter. Have a good day all!**

**-Questions-**

**1 – Did you expect Braixen or Staravia to evolve, or did you expect both?**

**2 – Your favorite chapter so far has been…?**

**3 – Would you like me to start listing Dash's and Monica's Pokémon like I do with Tristan's? (Levels and moves included). Also, do you want me to include ability in the Pokémon info at the end?**

_Tristan's Team:_

_Chansey – Level 28 – Wish, Seismic Toss, Healing Wish, Protect_

_Diggersby – Level 34 – Double Slap, Quick Attack, Mud Shot, Double Kick_

_Frogadier – Level 35 – Water Pulse, Smack Down, Lick, Quick Attack_

_Gogoat – Level 35 – Seed Bomb, Bulldoze, Bulk Up, Razor Leaf_

_Manectric – Level 35 – Discharge, Quick Attack, Bite, Thunder Fang_


	19. Chapter 19 - The Troubles of Training

**Heeere we go! It's time for another (late) chapter! I need to stop being so tardy… -Ehem- So! Before we jump into the chapter, let me respond to the man himself, El Torro.**

** El Torro – Yes, it is Staravia! I've always liked those guys. Also, you might just be surprised how interesting some of the teams get. But, you'll have to wait to see what I mean. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Now that I've completed that section, let's move on! This chapter features some training, so I hope you all are ready!**

**X – X – X – X**

**Chapter 19 – The Troubles of Training**

Tristan leaned against a conveniently placed rock and exhaled as he watched his team of Pokémon enjoy themselves. The sight brought a smile to his face. The fact that his Pokémon were able to have fun so easily was a good thing, after all. Soon, however, the teen's smile was replaced by a slight frown as a thought came to the forefront of his mind.

_Ugh, why does Josh's mask bug me so much? It's got to be because I've seen it before, but where? _The teen shook his head vehemently and stood up; thinking about a mask wouldn't do him any good. Tristan approached his team and cleared his throat, garnering their attention.

"So, it looks like Monica and Dash have gone ahead. We'll be able to meet up later. But, in the mean time, what do you all say to some training?" the teen inquired. The question was met with cheers from all five of the creatures standing before Tristan, which caused the blue-eyed trainer to chuckle.

"I'm glad you all are eager! So, let's get started!"

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan smiled and clapped for Frogadier as the amphibian's Water Pulse smashed into a rock and reduced it to rumble.

"Great job, Frogadier! You can tell that your attacks are getting stronger. Don't forget to take a break if you need it!" Tristan praised. Frogadier flashed a thumbs up at his trainer's words, but continued to work in spite of Tristan's offer. The brown haired teen chuckled and shifted his gaze to Manectric, who was resting next to Chansey after working on his agility. The teen watched in curiosity as Gogoat strolled up to the electric type and began to speak.

After a few moments, Gogoat jerked his head towards an open field and snickered. Manectric eyed the grass type for a moment more and, after shrugging, stood up and followed the goat to the middle of an open field. The action captured the attention of Frogadier, Chansey and Diggersby.

"Are they about to battle?" Tristan thought aloud. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw Gogoat and Manectric staring each other down in the middle of the field. Gogoat seemed to smirk before making another remark. Manectric smiled in response before calling his legs into action.

The electric hound crouched down and suddenly bolted forward, zigzagging across the battlefield as streaks of light followed him. Gogoat's eyes widened as Manectric crashed into him. The goat skidded backwards in the grass from the attack, but easily righted his self. Gogoat swiped at the ground and chuckled, breaking into a sprint soon after.

Manectric sped forwards simultaneously as his fangs grew longer. The canine lunged forward with its fangs bared, but received a mouth full of leaves from Gogoat's Razor Leaf. The grass goat cackled and suddenly stomped his front hooves on the ground, sending a crack in the ground straight towards Manectric. The hound seemed to have no time to dodge the surprisingly swift attack that was coming.

But, at the last second, Manectric rolled out of the way of the supper effective move. The electric type howled in pain, however, as it landed on its hind leg awkwardly. Tristan and the rest of his team winced as Manectric howled, taking notice of his obvious limp.

"Manectric didn't have much time to dodge the attack, which made him retreat hastily. Doing so caused him to land on his feet the wrong way. To be fair, I would've preferred that over taking a super effective attack…" Tristan muttered.

Tristan continued to look on as Gogoat approached the downed canine with a smirk on his face. Gogoat stopped merely a foot away from the electric type and puffed his chest out with pride. The creature's leafy coat began to glow a dull red, signaling a Seed Bomb. Gogoat shouted victoriously as he charged up the attack, knowing full well that Manectric was in no condition to move very quickly. The grass type was surprised, however, when a large body slammed into his side. Gogoat was sent rolling through the grassy field, though it managed to hop up soon after. The goat's eyes narrowed when it saw Diggersby standing before him with a very cross look plastered on his visage.

**X – X – X – X**

**(Pokémon speaking)**

"What the heck is your problem, Diggersby?" Gogoat questioned angrily. The rabbit rolled his eyes as if the answer was obviously.

"You, that's what's wrong! You always go around acting so high and mighty, as if you're the strongest. And now you take pride in winning against Manectric, even though we all know that he would beat you to the moon and back if he wasn't so tired! Stop being an arrogant little - !" The normal type's rant was cut off when Chansey wedged herself between the two and held out her arms defensively.

"Stop it, you two! There's no reason to fight! Can't you both just settle your differences? I just want us all to be friends," the pink creature pleaded. Gogoat shook his head and shoved the kind Pokémon out of the way.

"Sorry, Pinky, but there's no reasoning with this chubby bunny, and you know it!" Gogoat responded caustically. Diggersby's large, hand-like ears clenched, and the rabbit took another step forward so that he was face to face with Gogoat.

"Listen here you arrogant piece of crap! You need to stop being so cocky, it's getting on my nerves! I'll beat the arrogance out of you if I have to!" Diggersby threatened. Chansey, Frogadier and Tristan all shouted at them to stop, but the two refused to listen or budge. Gogoat laughed.

"We both know that you're not worth my time. In fact, I think I'll go wandering in the woods. Even a wild Pokémon would be stronger than you!" Gogoat took one last look at Tristan and the rest of the team before turning tail and dashing into the forest.

"Good riddance…" Diggersby muttered, "That guy makes me seriously angry!"

**X – X – X – X**

**(Pokémon are no longer speaking)**

Tristan, though in shock, knelt down next to Manectric and sprayed the canine with a potion. Even though every fiber of his being wanted to chase Gogoat, Tristan knew full well that he had to take care of Manectric. Plus, the grass type wouldn't listen to him in his current state, not when he was that set on getting away from Diggersby. The teen rubbed Manectric's fur before returning the creature to his Poké Ball. Tristan stood up and sighed.

"Well, I think now's the time to find Gogoat. He couldn't have gotten too far, I don't think." The teen ignored a cry of protest from Diggersby, instead listening to the cry of approval from Frogadier. The teen returned the two to their Poké Balls.

"Alright, Chansey, let's go… Uh, where's Chansey? Aw crap. I've gotta hurry, they couldn't have gotten too far…"

_Though it does concern me how crazy that just got. Have the two gotten mad at each other during a training session before? Yeah, but it was never this bad… I hope the damage isn't permanent. I've __**got **__to hurry. _Without missing a beat, Tristan sprinted into the woods after Gogoat.

**X – X – X – X**

**(Pokémon speaking)**

"Gogoat?" Chansey called out, hoping to find the arrogant Pokémon. Why couldn't she find him? She had been searching for two hours! Suddenly, the sound of hooves caught the pink Pokémon's attention. Chansey moved cautiously towards the sound, and was overjoyed to find Gogoat resting on a rock.

"Oh, I found you!" the healer exclaimed as she wobbled over to Gogoat. The grass type looked up and shook his head.

"What're you doing here, Pinky?" he quizzed. The Egg Pokémon smiled and sat down beside Gogoat.

"Finding you, of course!" was her energetic reply. Gogoat chuckled.

"Look, I appreciate the effort and all, but you should really meet back up with the rest of the group," advised the grass type. Chansey tilted her head to the side.

"And you?" she questioned simply. Gogoat shrugged in response.

"I don't know. I'll get back to you guys eventually. Diggersby annoys me too much, though," he muttered. Chansey adjusted her seating position so that she could face her grass type ally.

"We all just want you two to get along, you know? Your arguing with Diggersby is a pain to us all, I'll tell you that," Chansey stated matter-of-factly. Gogoat chuckled in surprise.

"That's awfully up front of you, Pinky." Chansey shrugged.

"I didn't know how else to put it, to be fair," countered the normal type with a grin. Gogoat mimicked her grin with one of his own, but still shook his head.

"I appreciate your concern, but I'm not going to go back, not now. I would suggest going back to Tristan before it gets too late. The sun is already starting to set," Gogoat iterated a second time. Chansey sighed.

"I wish I could convince you to come back with me. We all want you back, even Diggersby, if you can believe it. You two get mad at each other often, but you have to realize that's just how Diggersby is. You two are like brothers, in a way. No matter how mad he gets at you, he couldn't stand to see you leave," Chansey explained, already turning to leave. Gogoat's ears perked up at the statement.

"That's a bold statement there, Pinky. I'm not sure how true that is." Gogoat yawned and watched as the moon began to rise. Chansey stopped herself from leaving, taking to opportunity to get one last word in.

"Well, looks like both you and I are tired. I'm headed back now, if you care to join me," she offered. Gogoat remained silent, but finally stood up.

"Fine. Sleeping out here would suck anyway," the goat replied, trying to hide a smile. Chansey punched the grass type playfully.

"Whatever you say…"

**X – X – X – X**

**(Pokémon still speaking)**

Tristan cradled his head in his hands as he sat down on the same rock he had used hours earlier.

"It's been, what, three hours since I've seen Gogoat and Chansey? I hope they're okay. I would go searching, but it's impossible to navigate that forest at night." Tristan looked up to see that Frogadier, Manectric, and even Diggersby shared his desire to get the two back. The teen exhaled.

"We'll just have to camp here for the night. I hope those two know to come back here." As if on cue, Tristan heard the sound of leaves rustling. It was an easy sound to pick up on in the quiet of the night. Tristan's gaze was fixated on some nearby bushes and, to his excitement, Gogoat and Chansey walked calmly out of them. Tristan and the rest of the party jogged towards the duo to greet them.

"You guys are back! Talk about ridiculous timing!" Tristan exclaimed. Gogoat and Chansey nodded wordlessly. Tristan was about to speak up when he noticed Diggersby approach Gogoat. The teen reached for Diggersby's Poké Ball just in case something happened.

"So, you decided to come back, huh?" Diggersby quizzed. Gogoat nodded.

"Yep. Sleeping in the woods would've sucked," was the grass type's reply. Diggersby folded his arms and grinned.

"Well, it's good to have you back… I guess. But so help me, if you pull the same arrogant crap again, I will smack you," Diggersby threatened. Gogoat chuckled.

"I look forward to the day of our battle, then." Tristan, noticing that the two weren't hostile, let go of the breath that he didn't know he was holding.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that we're all glad that you two are back. Also, I would say 'get rest', but we're really close to Coumarine City. It's time for me to travel!" Tristan informed his team. Taking all five of the capture devices in hand, Tristan recalled his entire team.

_Now that that's taken care of, let's cover some ground._

**X – X – X – X**

**(Pokémon have stopped speaking)**

Tristan yawned lengthily as he walked down the dirt path that led to Coumarine's harbor. Due to his inability to sleep on account of the next day's gym battle, the trainer found his self exploring the unique city. The area was divided into two halves that were connected by a monorail. One half housed the Pokémon Center, a few houses, and many cliffs. The other half, the one that he was on, was home to the harbor, the hotel, and a shop or two.

"Man, I'm glad that I can just walk back in to the Pokémon Center and head straight to my room when I want to. Monica, you're a life saver for getting me a room in advance," Tristan muttered aloud. He would have to thank her for that later.

Aimlessly, the teen began to take strides towards the harbor. Multiple small boats lined the docks. A light breeze blew in from the sea, and the waves moved the boats to and fro. All was calm.

Tristan's ear suddenly perked up when he heard the sound of shoes against the stone of the harbor. The teen's focus was drawn to the direction of the sound. In the dim light of the moon, Tristan could barely see the outline of a person in one of the small shops. Cautiously, the teen approached the small building, making sure that he had a Poké Ball in hand. Tristan almost shouted when the stranger whirled around with a gun in hand.

"I suggest you shut your mouth, kid," the stranger warned as they walked forward. Tristan's mind and heart were racing. Did he accidentally make a noise? A bead of sweat trickled down the fifteen-year-old's visage, the threat of death or serious injury looming over him.

The stranger chuckled as they adjusted the black mask on their face. Tristan's eyes widened in surprise; he finally recognized the voice.

"Why doesn't it surprise me to see you here, Josh? What are you even doing here?" Tristan asked with a frown. The Deivis admin shrugged.

"I'm just doing some shopping. It's weird, though, you seem to have a real talent when it comes to running into trouble, kid," Josh paused to shake his head and laugh, "Well, as much as I would _love _to crush you in a battle, I've got to get going ASAP. And here's a bit of advice: Stay away from Deivis if you know what's good for you." Josh suddenly hoisted a bag over his shoulder and took a step back, holstering his gun in the process. The man brought his open palm back and then slammed it into Tristan's shoulder, causing the shocked trainer to stumble backwards.

"See you around, kid!" Josh said with a smirk. Before Tristan could say or do anything, the villain in black ran down one of the docks and leapt into a boat. The last thing the teen heard Josh say was 'drive'.

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan stumbled into the Pokémon Center wearily. Not wanting to waste any time, the brown haired teen began his walk towards his room. Sleep was a must. Tristan happened to walk by the counter of the center when the pink haired lady sitting there spoke up.

"Oh, are you Tristan?" Nurse Joy inquired. Though tired, Tristan responded with a verbal 'yes'. The pink haired nurse nodded and turned away from Tristan; she seemed to be looking for something. The woman faced Tristan seconds later with two small boxes in her hands.

"Someone came by earlier and handed these two boxes to me. They said to give them to you, and they also told me to tell you about a note on the bottom of the rectangular box. I'm not sure what's in it, but it seems like something interesting," she informed him. Tristan took the box in bewilderment. The day kept getting weirder. Who sent this and why? Tristan decided to ask.

"Do you know who handed this to you?" he quizzed. Nurse Joy shook her head.

"No, I don't. Whoever they were had a fondness for wearing black. In fact, it was hard to tell their gender, too. But, it seems that they have your best interest in mind." The response puzzled Tristan even more. Sighing, the teen thanked the pink haired woman and made a beeline to his room.

Tristan jumped onto the bed and slipped under the sheets. He would open the boxes in the morning.

**X – X – X – X**

**And there you have it, folks! This chapter was a bit of a shorter one than usual, but it has a lot of stuff in it. We saw two conflicts: one between Gogoat and Diggersby, and the other between Tristan and Josh. Also, at the very end of the chapter, we see Tristan receive a strange package. With all of this craziness, I hope you enjoyed!**

**X – X – X – X**

**Questions:**

**1-Was the conflict between Gogoat and Diggersby realistic in your opinion? (If not, say why). Also, did the "resolution" make any sense? (If not, say why).**

**2-What do you think Tristan's package is? (It's kind of specific, so if anyone gets it exactly right I will be surprised).**

**3-Should I include a short teaser-like description of the next chapter at the end of these? (See a story by El Torro if you want to know what that looks like).**

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan's Team:

Chansey – Level 30 – Wish, Seismic Toss, Wish, Healing Wish

Diggersby – Level 34 – Quick Attack, Double Slap, Double Kick, Mud Shot

Frogadier – Level 35 – Water Pulse, Lick, Smack Down, Quick Attack

Gogoat – Level 35 – Razor Leaf, Seed Bomb, Bulk Up, Bulldoze

Manectric – Level 35 – Discharge, Quick Attack, Bite, Thunder Fang


	20. Chapter 20 - The Gift

**Hello everyone! I hope you all are doing well. So, it's time for another chapter (chapter twenty to be exact). This chapter will feature the continuation of a certain event from last chapter, as well as a gym battle! Things will prove to be exciting, I'm sure. But, the things stopping you from reading this chapter are my responses to reviews. (Okay, it doesn't really stop you at all…) Anyways, I'll respond to some stuff and then you all can jump into the chapter.**

** Blaze Falcon – I'm glad to see that you've been keeping up with the story. I appreciate your support either way. As for your response to the second question, you'll just have to find out. Thanks for the review!**

** ElTorro – I'm back, and arguably better than ever! I'm sorry for taking a while. Also, blessed seems like a strong word (though I appreciate it). :P As for your answer to the second question, you'll just have to see. Is it a Pawniard in a box? Mayybeee… Thanks for the review!**

** SinnohBlaze (a guest?) – Thanks for the compliment! I hope I don't disappoint. As for your guess, you'll have to find out. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Well, it's time for you all to jump into this chapter. Prepare yourselves!**

**X – X – X – X**

**Chapter 20 – The Gift**

Tristan grinned as he wrapped his belt around his waist. He was excited; why would he not be? Today he planned on challenging Coumarine's Gym with the hope of winning his fourth gym badge. The teen paused as the thought crossed his mind.

_Wow. I might have four gym badges by the end of today! I'll be halfway done with the badge hunt at that point. Time most definitely flies by… _Tristan broke his train of thought and stepped into the bathroom. His blue eyes examined the person in the mirror: him, of course. He hadn't grown an inch, sadly. But, at least his clothes weren't wrinkled or dirty. In fact, they looked almost new. The washing machines in the Pokémon Center didn't disappoint.

Tristan gave himself another brief once-over and then exited the room, ready to begin the day. The teen swiftly slung his backpack over his shoulders and then approached the bed. Tristan smiled when he noticed two boxes resting at the foot of the bed. The teen lifted the two boxes that he had received yesterday as carefully as he could, despite them being light objects. Tristan exited the room as soon as the items were in his grasp.

Tristan entered the lobby of the Pokémon Center moments later and, seeing a table in the back corner, took a seat. The trainer carefully placed his bag on the floor beside him and set the two boxes on the seat to his left. The teen leaned back in his chair as much as he could and waited. He was not aware, after all, of how long Monica and Dash would take to arrive.

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan's gaze suddenly shifted to the desk in the back center of the lobby. Two people were standing at the desk. One was a blond about his height, and the other person was tall and dark-skinned. Tristan laughed inwardly; he almost didn't notice his two friends.

"Hey Dash! Monica!" the trainer called in an attempt to catch the attention of at least one of them. Just as Tristan had hoped, Dash and Monica's heads turned towards him. Their faces lit up with recognition, and the two teens didn't hesitate to approach the table.

"Oh hey, Tristan! I'm glad to see you here. Dash and I didn't see you at first glance, and we were worried that you went off to the gym without us," Monica greeted. Tristan chuckled.

"Well good morning to you, too. Also, I would hope that you know me well enough to know that I wouldn't randomly disappear without saying something," Tristan responded. Dash grinned.

"Oh, I know that. Shorty, on the other hand…" The African American's remark earned him an unexpected punch, forcing him to sit down across from Tristan while clutching his stomach. Monica took a seat next to Dash, opting not to speak. Taking a note of the silence, Tristan spoke up.

"So, are you two excited for the gym battle?" he quizzed with a grin. Monica nodded emphatically.

"Heck yeah I am! I'll win the badge pretty easily, I think," the blond said confidently. Dash responded similarly. Tristan nodded.

"Awesome. Well, are you guys ready to go?" Tristan inquired, already picking up his bag. Upon hearing words of affirmation, Tristan stood up, placed the straps of his backpack on his shoulders, and took his gift in hand. The excited trainer hadn't taken a step when Dash spoke up.

"What're the boxes for?" the tall teen wondered. Tristan examined the two boxes and shrugged.

"I have no idea. Apparently they're a gift," he answered simply.

"You haven't opened them yet?" Monica asked, her voice laced with surprise, "I think you should open them now, then. I really want to know what you get." Tristan ran a hand through his short hair and shrugged.

"I don't see why not." All three teens sat down immediately, and Tristan lifted the two boxes onto the table. Tristan observed the two boxes, one rectangular, and the other a square. The teen suddenly recalled something and flipped the rectangular box over. Sure enough, there was a slip of paper taped to the bottom of the box, just as Nurse Joy had said.

"A note?" Dash mumbled. Tristan nodded.

"I guess so. Here's what it says… 'Tristan, in these two boxes are some gifts for you. In the square one there should be a mega stone and a necklace to go with it. Apparently one of your current Pokémon can use it. In the rectangular one there should be a TM called Return, which is a move that's more powerful if you have a strong bond with your Pokémon. However, it's an older TM, meaning that you'll only be able to teach it to one Pokémon. I don't know why I'm supposed to give this to you, kid, but the boss says it's for a good reason. Maybe this will stop you from being so pathetic next time we meet. See ya around, kid. – Josh.'"

Tristan dropped the note, speechless. He received a mega stone and a TM… from Josh and who he assumed to be the leader of Deivis? Confused, the teen tore into the rectangular box. Sure enough, there was a shiny, gray disk inside. Tristan's shaking hands moved towards the square box. This one was supposed to have a mega stone according to the note. On top of that, the stone was supposed to go with one of his current Pokémon. Slowly, the confused trainer's hands opened the box. The trio gasped.

It was just as Josh had said in the note. Inside the box was a bit of black string that surrounded a colorful orb. Tristan picked up the mega stone and observed the spherical object. The stone was primarily yellow in color. In the middle of the stone was a wavy shape, half red and half blue. Monica shook her head in disbelief while Dash whistled.

"What? Why do you…? Huh?" Dash wondered in confusion. Monica, still shaking her head, elaborated on the African American's words.

"That's crazy… You have a mega stone! What I want to know is why it's from Josh of all people. He's been up to no good, right?" Tristan shook his head and sighed.

"I don't know. It bugs me, too. Who does the mega stone belong to? Who do I give the TM to? I'm not sure about any of it. But, I'm going to assume that it really is a gift with no strings attached. I'd rather not worry about this stuff now, though. I'd rather focus on the upcoming gym battle." Monica and Dash nodded.

"Right."

**X – X – X – X**

Dash, Monica and Tristan cheered as they approached the gym. They would be able to battle their way to victory in just a few short minutes. The trio approached the building anxiously. A fierce battle was waiting for them on the other side of the double doors. Dash reached for the door handle.

"Hold on," Tristan called out. Dash raised an eyebrow and turned to the teen.

"Dude, you killed the moment," Dash jested with a grin. Tristan found himself smiling as well.

"I know, I know. I won't be long." The teen reached for his belt of Poké Balls and took all five of them in his hands. He tossed the spherical devices into the air, summoning his entire party. Tristan was greeted with a burst of excitement.

"Haha, hey guys. It's time to go for our fourth badge! But, I couldn't decide on whom to use. All I know is that I can't use you, Manectric, since you're still injured." The statement saddened the electric type, though he knew it was true. Tristan paused to pet the canine.

"Don't worry, Manectric, you'll get to battle soon. As for the rest of you, is there anyone who doesn't want to battle?" Tristan eyes flickered back and forth between his team until a hand finally shot up. The owner of said hand was no surprise.

"Are you sure, Chansey?" Tristan interrogated. The healer nodded and pointed at Frogadier and Diggersby. Tristan hid a smile. _She knows that Diggersby and Frogadier haven't battled in a while, so she's letting them do so now, _Tristan remarked.

"Alright, if you insist! Alright, I hope you three are ready!" Tristan shouted, referring to Diggersby, Gogoat and Frogadier. The three nodded and cheered; they were raring to go. As their cheers ended, Tristan returned his entire team. Suddenly, an idea made itself known inside of his mind. Tristan opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Dash.

"Well, that settles that. Are we good to go?" Dash inquired, getting more excited by the second. Thinking back on a previous event, Tristan shook his head.

"You guys go ahead. I promise I'll be with you in a minute." Monica frowned before locking eyes with Tristan. The girl sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"If you insist. Let's go, Dash." The duo turned around, albeit reluctantly, and entered the gym. Wasting no time, Tristan grabbed a Poké Ball and tossed it into the air, summoning one of his team members for a second time. The creature looked up at its trainer in confusion. Tristan laughed and grabbed an item from his bag.

"Hey, take this, I think you might want it." The Pokémon stared at the object blankly before pointing at their self as if to say 'Me?' Tristan nodded and dropped the TM Return into their hands

"Yeah, I mean it. Go ahead, take it if you want to," Tristan encouraged. With a smirk, the creature took the disc and absorbed it into their body, glowing briefly on account of the machine. Tristan grinned.

"Now let's go win that badge."

**X – X – X – X**

Upon entering the gym, Monica and Dash noticed that there was a battle going on. The two approached the bleachers that resided on the left side of the battlefield and sat down, hoping to catch a glimpse of how strong the gym leader and his Pokémon were. Their eyes scanned the battlefield, picking up on the fact that it was flat, yet grassy. The gym had trees lining the walls with a glass roof allowing the sunlight to enter. But, what caught the duo's eyes the most were the Pokémon and trainer standing near the back wall.

An older man stood inside the trainer box with his knees. He had his left arm folded behind his back, while his right was resting on a large pair of gardening scissors. The man had a smile plastered on his face as he called out to his Pokémon, who was a large, well-built Gogoat. The grass type stamped his hooves on the ground and charged forward.

Monica and Dash looked on as the bulky goat crushed a small fairy-like creature with a flower in its hand. The Pokémon cried out weakly as it tried to lift itself off of the ground, but it could not. The small fairy collapsed with swirls for eyes. Gogoat cried out victoriously as the old man gave it a pat on the back.

"Wow, that Gogoat looks strong…" Tristan muttered. Dash and Monica's gaze snapped to Tristan.

"Since when did you get here?" Monica quizzed. Tristan chuckled.

"I got here an hour ago, of course," the brown haired trainer responded sarcastically. Monica rolled her eyes. Dash cut the blond off before she could speak.

"I will agree with you on that, though. Gogoat is strong. It knocked that Floette out in one Take Down…" Tristan nodded. The trio's focus was drawn back to the battlefield as they watched the old man, who they assumed to be the gym leader, return his Gogoat and place his hand on his challenger's shoulder.

"Well, whippersnapper, you'll have to train harder for next time. I look forward to our next match!" he beamed. The other trainer, a girl who looked to be a year or two younger than Tristan, forced a smile.

"T-Thank you," she stuttered. She ran out shortly after.

Seeing that the girl had left, the gym leader turned to the bleachers and acknowledged the three trainers sitting there.

"Are you all here to challenge the gym?" he inquired. The trio nodded, prompting the old man to smile.

"I look forward to it, sprouts! I'll have to heal my Pokémon, though, so give me a bit of time. Ol' Ramos will be back!" Dash chuckled as the elder exited the gym.

"I like him already."

**X – X – X – X**

Ramos returned to the gym after what seemed to be hours, though it was more like ten minutes. The grass leader, with his ever-present smile, greeted Tristan, Dash and Monica.

"I'm glad that you all are still here! So, which one of you whippersnappers is brave enough to challenge me first?" The response was almost immediate.

"I'll go for it," Tristan volunteered. Surprisingly enough, the teen's declaration was met with no resistance. Ramos nodded.

"Well then, sprout, let's get going!" Ramos waved Tristan over to the battlefield with his left arm, still leaning on his gardening scissors with his right hand. Tristan took his side of the field while Ramos took his. The old man grabbed a Poké Ball.

"Are you ready for a three on three?" Ramos asked. Tristan grinned as he reached for a Poké Ball of his own.

"You bet I am!" countered the fifteen-year-old. As he shouted, Tristan tossed the Poké Ball onto the battlefield to reveal Gogoat. Ramos mimicked the teen's actions and flung his Poké Ball into the air.

"Go, Jumpluff!" A small creature appeared in a flash of light, immediately taking to the air. The Pokémon was puffy and blue, with three balls of cotton branching out from its body. Despite its red eyes, Jumpluff was not menacing in the slightest. In fact, the Pokémon's cute nature caused Gogoat to snicker. Tristan palmed his face at the goat's actions.

"Gogoat, it may look cute, but it's a gym leader's Pokémon. So, what do you think about starting this battle with a Seed Bomb?" Tristan asked rhetorically. The arrogant grass type seemed to like the idea, as his leafy coat began to glow a dull red. Not one to sit back and let his opponent attack, Ramos issued a counter immediately.

"Use Sunny Day and dodge it!" Jumpluff suddenly gathered a ball of fiery energy and launched it into the sky. The ball reached its apex and exploded, suddenly turning the inside of the gym extremely hot. As Gogoat loosed his powerful grass type attack, Jumpluff flickered out of the way, appearing by the goat's side.

"To your left!" Tristan shouted urgently. The teen was too late; Jumpluff's Chlorophyll ability had already kicked in.

"Acrobatics!" Ramos ordered calmly. The blue ball of cotton raced forwards and slammed into Gogoat's side multiple times because of its great speed, causing the arrogant Pokémon to stumble. Jumpluff continued its assault by throwing all of its weight – which wasn't a lot – onto Gogoat's back. Tristan's Pokémon crashed to the ground despite Jumpluff's size, which filled Tristan with worry.

"Can you stand, Gogoat?" _Jumpluff's already high speed plus the effect of Chlorophyll, an ability that doubles your speed in the sun, makes for a bad combination, _Tristan mused uneasily.

The grass type opted not to respond, instead focusing on the task at hand: getting up. Gogoat pushed itself up with little effort, ceasing Tristan's concern.

"Now, Razor Leaf!" Tristan barked.

"Dive and get in close!" Ramos countered. Gogoat loosed a wave of leaves towards his cotton opponent, but the speedy Pokémon plummeted to the ground in an instant. Gogoat's eyes widened as Jumpluff appeared in front of his face with a mischievous smile.

"Now, Solar Beam!" Ramos cried with a grin. Jumpluff gathered solar energy in its three balls of cotton and formed the powerful grass type attack, which took a small amount of time to charge on account of the sun. Jumpluff released the solar energy and concentrated it into a beam that hit home. Gogoat had no time to dodge the point blank attack.

"Crap…" Tristan muttered, "Gogoat, are you alright?" The teen's blue eyes focused on the cloud of smoke that resulted from Jumpluff's attack. After several moments, the smoke finally cleared. Gogoat was… perfectly fine?

The grass type grunted and stomped on the ground with his front hooves with a smirk on his face. The cocky Pokémon looked even better than before. A confused Tristan snagged his Pokédex in hopes of an explanation. The teen laughed and rubbed the back of his head as he found his answer, and Ramos realized his mistake just as Tristan pocketed the device.

"And to think I forgot about Sap Sipper, the ability that raises your attack when hit by a grass move! I even have one of the darn things and I still forgot!" Ramos cried with exasperation. Gogoat laughed at the old man's misfortune and made a gesture that read 'come at me'. Ramos was more than happy to oblige.

"If he wants a head on collision, we'll give him one!" Ramos shouted recklessly, "Acrobatics!" Despite Gogoat's newfound strength, it was almost like the battle was on replay. Jumpluff raced across the battlefield before Tristan could issue a command; Jumpluff was already barraging Gogoat with countless slams. Except this time the outcome would be different.

"Seed Bomb at point blank!" Tristan countered. It was Ramos' turn to be shocked; Gogoat held fast and catapulted the three explosive rounds into the air. The strong grass attack collided with Jumpluff's fluffy body and exploded, causing the cotton ball to scream in pain.

A cloud of thick smoke covered the battlefield as a result of the attack. No one could see what was going on. Neither Tristan nor Ramos could hear their Pokémon, either. The smoke began to clear. After an attack like Gogoat's, things could go either way.

"Well I'll be! Jumpluff, return!" Ramos realized with a laugh. Tristan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Gogoat was still standing.

_If it weren't for Sap Sipper, Gogoat's Seed Bomb wouldn't have knocked Jumpluff out of the fight, _Tristan noted tacitly. The teen silently thanked Ramos for the Solar Beam. Tristan shook his head; he needed to focus on the battle.

"Great work, Gogoat, but come back for now," Tristan instructed as he reached for the goat's Poké Ball. The grass type flashed another arrogant smirk before he was zapped into the spherical device. Both Ramos and Tristan reached for another Poké Ball.

"Weepinbell, let's go!"

"Let's roll, Diggersby!" The normal type powerhouse landed on the battlefield, eager to participate in the battle. Across from the rabbit was Ramos' Pokémon, who looked like a yellow bell with two eyes and pink lips. The strange Pokémon also had two leaves, one on each side of its body. _I know better than to underestimate something like that, though._

"Diggersby, let's start out with Quick Attack!" Tristan barked as he threw an arm to the side. The burly creature grinned, cracked his knuckles and then sped forward as streaks surrounded his frame. True to its name, the attack was speedy enough to close in on Weepinbell within seconds. The Flycatcher Pokémon yelped in surprise when Diggersby's body checked its own. The poison type was sent rolling across the grassy battlefield, stopping at Ramos' feet.

"Shake it off, Weepinbell, and show the whippersnapper an Acid attack!" The grass type hastily formed a blob of purple liquid and spat it towards Diggersby, hoping to score a hit.

"Break through it with Mud Shot!" Tristan countered. Diggersby grinned and dug his massive, fist-like ear into the ground, coming back seconds later to throw a large ball of mud towards the Acid attack. The ground type attack smashed through Weepinbell's and smacked the Flycatcher Pokémon in the head. Weepinbell fell on its back, dazed from the projectile's impact.

"Finish this with Quick Attack into Return!" Ramos' ears perked up at the sound of the normal type attack. It was one that required a strong bond to work properly. Assuming it landed, would it be a powerful one?

"Weepinbell, stop him in his tracks with Poison Powder!" the gym leader shouted earnestly. The bell struggled to get up, but when it did it summoned a wall of purple spores in front of Diggersby. The normal type, despite being faced with a wall of poison, blazed a trail that lead right to his opponent. Diggersby whizzed through the poisonous attack and rammed Weepinbell to the ground. The yellow Pokémon looked up in fear as Diggersby drew his ears back.

The appendages began to grow a bright blue, which was the energy behind Return. Diggersby cried victoriously as he threw his ears forward with the intent to finish the battle.

Weepinbell wheezed as the normal attack connected with his frame. The grass type struggled to stay conscious, but found that he could not. Weepinbell rolled over with swirls for eyes. Tristan cheered as Ramos reached for Weepinbell's Poké Ball.

"Weepinbell, return." Ramos nodded slowly as he exchanged Weepinbell's Poké Ball for another. The situation at hand suddenly registered in Tristan's mind.

_I'm beating a gym leader 3-1 at the moment. But, that may change soon enough. After all, his ace is here, _the teen realized.

"Gogoat, let's show this sprout how things are done!" Ramos bellowed with excitement. Ramos' ace dropped onto the field, and it looked just as powerful as Tristan remembered. Noticing the seriousness of the fight ahead, Diggersby turned to his trainer and flashed him a thumbs up. Tristan grinned.

"I guess you're staying in, then. Well, let's see what we can do!" Diggersby nodded and turned back to Gogoat with confidence, but quickly dropped to his knees as his body flashed a deep purple. Tristan frowned. _Poison… _The teen shook his head vigorously; he needed to focus on the good, not the bad.

"Diggersby, let's get rolling! Mud Shot!" Wanting to finish the battle as soon as possible, Diggersby dug into the ground and flung the projectile at his grass type opponent.

"Jump out of the way and use Leech Seed!" Ramos called tactically. With surprising agility, Ramos' Gogoat sped to the left and launched a sapling from its back. The sapling latched onto Diggersby and wrapped vines around his body. Diggersby grunted as he felt his energy sapped by the attack.

"We can't waste time! Quick Attack and Double Kick!" Tristan commanded urgently. Sharing his trainer's sense of urgency, Diggersby rushed forward with immense speed. As the hare neared his target, Diggersby hopped up and brought his feet forward for a drop kick. Ramos chuckled.

"Bring up a wall with Bulldoze!" cried the grass leader. Gogoat slammed the ground with his hooves obediently and raised a wall of earth. Diggersby tried to slow his momentum, but was unable to. The normal type crashed into the wall of stone and caused it to crumble. Ramos' Gogoat took the opportunity to smash into Diggersby as he harbored a bronze sheen, forcing the rabbit onto his back. Diggersby wheezed as the air left him.

"Can you go on?" Tristan's concern was evident. His normal type friend looked back at him and forced a smile, but the façade faded as soon as Diggersby's body flashed a deep purple. The normal type fell to the ground with a 'thud', and cried out once more as his body was sapped of its energy thanks to Leech Seed. Gogoat's Take Down combined with the draining effects of poison and Leech Seed proved too much for the powerhouse to handle, and Diggersby was out like a light.

"Diggersby, you did well," Tristan complimented as he zapped the normal type into his Poké Ball, "But I think it's time for Gogoat to take over!" The arrogant Pokémon returned to the battlefield in a flash of light, immediately taking notice of his opponent. The grass types looked at each other and nodded, acknowledging the strength that resided in both of them.

"This has been a doozy of a battle! I say we continue. Gogoat, Bulldoze!" Ramos barked.

"Respond with your own!" Tristan countered. The two ground type attacks snaked through the ground and collided. Weirdly enough, the two fissures cancelled each other out, rendering them useless.

"Take Down!" Ramos shouted, wanting to keep the momentum.

"Gogoat, Bulk Up to Bulldoze!" Ramos' ace blitzed his opponent as bronze energy surrounded his frame, wanting to end the fight. However, Tristan's Gogoat had other plans. His muscles tensed and became surrounded in a crimson aura, signaling a raise in attack and defense. The cocky Pokémon then slammed his front hooves on the ground and raised the earth underneath Ramos' ace. Ramos and his Pokémon grinned.

"Surprisingly enough, you're not the first to do that! Gogoat, run over it!" To Tristan's dismay, Ramos' Gogoat used the earth platform from Bulldoze to boost his self. The next thing that Tristan saw was a bronze goat falling from the sky and crashing into his Gogoat. The fifteen year old looked on in worry as Ramos' Gogoat backed away with seemingly no signs of fatigue, while his Gogoat was lying on the ground, quiescent. Gravity, Take Down and Gogoat's already low health did not make a good combination. Tristan sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Gogoat, thank you. Return. Now, let's wrap this up, Frogadier!" Tristan tossed his final Poké Ball onto the battlefield, revealing his water type starter. The action caused Ramos' Gogoat to tilt his head in confusion. Even Monica and Dash wanted to find out why Tristan chose Frogadier.

"Ah, so it's your starter, sprout. We'll see if you have what it takes to overcome Gogoat, despite your type disadvantage. Gogoat, Leech Seed!"

"Dodge with Quick Attack!" Tristan instructed quickly. The ninja frog sped out of the way and easily dodged Gogoat's draining attack. Tristan punched forward.

"Now Smack Down!" Frogadier suddenly opened his mouth a let loose a rock. The object soared through the air and struck Gogoat on the head, disorienting the grass type. Tristan grinned.

"Keep it going! Water Pulse!" Frogadier, fueled by adrenaline, rushed forward as he gathered aquatic energy in his hand. He lunged forward and slammed the ball of water into Gogoat's face. The grass type was forced to take a step back by the attack, but easily shook it off.

"Bulldoze!" Ramos shouted.

"Back up!" Tristan countered. Ramos chuckled.

"Grass Knot!" the old man ordered. Frogadier leapt back with great agility, but found grass wrapped tightly around his leg as soon as he landed. Tristan growled.

"Try and break free!" Tristan called out. His starter tried everything he could, but he could not escape in time. Upon orders from Ramos, Gogoat charged forward with Take Down. The normal type attack connected with Frogadier and sent him flying. The frog crashed onto the field like a sack of bricks, but managed to stand up in spite of the impact. Tristan did notice, however, that Frogadier's breathing was ragged.

"Don't give up, Frogadier!" Tristan encouraged, "Quick Attack!" The ninja frog sped forward again despite his fatigue, and Ramos shook his head.

"Grass Knot again!" Gogoat shone briefly before causing the grass from the battlefield to snare Frogadier. The water type yelped in surprise and fell face-first to the ground. Ramos chuckled while Tristan gasped.

"Wrap things up with Take Down!" the elderly man barked. The goat swiped at the ground with his hoof before charging forward, preparing the finishing blow. Frogadier was still stuck. Tristan panicked. _Think of something, anything! _

"Ah… Wrap your tongue around his leg!" Tristan blurted suddenly. Deciding to trust his trainer, Frogadier extended his tongue and wrapped it around Gogoat's ankle and tugged. Ramos' ace was caught off guard and lost his balance, falling over in the process. The grass type slid along the grassy field before coming to a rest. Ramos gasped.

"Get up, Gogoat!" Ramos cried urgently. Tristan began to smile. Now was his chance.

"Frogadier, escape Grass Knot and go for a double Water Pulse!" Frogadier successfully escaped the snare because of Gogoat's broken concentration and blitzed his opponent. Two orbs of water formed in the starter Pokémon's hands. Frogadier reached his grass type opponent and threw his arms forward. The two attacks suddenly burst and swept Gogoat away. Gogoat growled and halted, preventing the water from pushing him further. Ramos frowned for the first time in the battle when he saw Gogoat's physical condition was deteriorating.

"Rush him with Take Down!" Ramos bellowed.

"Trip him with Lick if you need to," Tristan ordered calmly. Frogadier crouched down and prepared an attack just in case, but was pleasantly surprised when he didn't have to. In his haste, Gogoat charged forwards and slipped on the wet grass, hitting his head in the process. Tristan adopted a large grin and punched the air.

"Let's try something crazy! Frogadier, use Water Pulse at your feet!" Frogadier stared at his trainer with wide eyes. Was he crazy? Seeing that Tristan was serious, Frogadier reluctantly performed the move. The result surprised the ninja frog; the force of the Water Pulse sent the starter Pokémon high into the air.

"Quick Attack straight at Gogoat, and prepare a double Water Pulse!" Tristan roared intensely. Frogadier didn't hesitate to plummet at high speeds, his body becoming a mere blur in the sky. Streaks of light blue trailed the water type, showing that he was preparing a dual Water Pulse. Ramos' eyes widened, along with Monica's and Dash's.

"Dodge!" the old man screamed. Though the command was heard, it was not performed. Gogoat was clobbered by the gravity-fueled attack, forcing him further into the ground. The grass type felt the air leaving his body, and promptly entered a state of unconsciousness. Tristan and Frogadier cheered like they had won the Kalos League. A shocked Ramos returned his ace and approached Tristan along with Monica and Dash.

"Well I'll be! –" Ramos was cut off when Frogadier was captured by a bright light. The water type began to shift forms. The new Pokémon had white spots covering its knees and elbows, and the spots easily stood out when compared to the frog's black skin and red tongue, which had to be wrapped around its neck like a scarf. Frogadier's new form crouched down and had one arm extended to the side, resembling a ninja in a way. Tristan's jaw dropped.

"Okay, first of all, that's really sudden. Second, let's see what the Pokédex has to say," Tristan said in awe. The rectangular device scanned the black and red Pokémon before speaking.

"Greninja, the Ninja Pokémon, creates throwing stars out of compressed water. When it spins them and throws them at high speed, these stars can split metal in two." Tristan whistled.

"Not only do you sound strong, Greninja, but you also look really freaking cool," Tristan praised. The frog nodded wordlessly. Ramos nodded and resumed speaking.

"To think that you have a Greninja now! Our battle must've pushed it to evolving, even if it didn't need it during the battle. You, whippersnapper, have a strong team, and are a creative one indeed! That's the most interesting battle I've had this month! I'll go ahead and give you this badge, the Plant Badge, you've earned it," Ramos praised. Tristan took the metal object gratefully.

"Thank you, Ramos!" the teen said as he examined the badge. It was a small, green piece of metal in the shape of a leaf. The veins of the leaf seemed to form a plant, too. Tristan grinned from ear to ear as he placed the badge in its case. It was hard for him to contain his excitement after winning such a close battle, but somehow he was doing so now. Before anyone could say anything else, Ramos held his hand up, leaned on his gardening scissors and reached for his back pocket. Moments later he presented a disk to Tristan.

"This here is TM Grass Knot. You've already seen what it can do, and it can probably be used for more. I'd like to see what a sprout like you could do with it!" Ramos beamed. Tristan grabbed the TM from the senior's hand and placed it in his bag gratefully.

"Thanks for everything, Ramos. I'll definitely find a use for it." The gym leader chuckled.

"Thank _you_ for the battle, sprout! As for you two over there, I would love to battle you, but this battle ended up taking a long while. Why don't I see you both first thing tomorrow when it's not as late?" Ramos proposed. Dash and Monica glanced at each other and shrugged.

"That's fine with me, I guess," Monica responded. Dash nodded in agreement. Ramos clapped Dash on the back and nodded.

"I look forward to it, then!" the elder exclaimed, "Well, that wraps things up for the day! I'll see you all some time later, I suppose." The trio nodded and turned to leave.

"See you later! Let's go, Greninja," Tristan said with a wave. Ramos waved at them as they exited, wishing them luck.

The gym leader laughed once again to his self and reached into his pocket.

"It's a shame that I have to carry one of these contraptions with me…" the leader stated absentmindedly. Ramos tapped the screen of the phone and began to speak.

"Well, Ol' Ramos just got beat by Tristan! He has a very unique battling style, that's for sure. He's shaping up to be a strong trainer, definitely…"

**X – X – X – X**

**Well, well, well! That's another chapter down. Tristan finally opened his gift, and saw that it was from Josh of all people. Then, deciding to put half of the gift to good use, Tristan takes on the grass leader Ramos. After a grueling battle, Tristan won his badge for a solid four-win streak. (And got shiny Greninja, who's really cool!)**

**By the way, this was supposed to go up about 9 hours ago. But, it was getting late and I still wanted to look over the chapter one last time, so I went to sleep. I hope it was worth the wait!**

**1 – Tristan is on a roll with these gym battles! Do you think he'll ever lose one? If so, which one(s)?**

**2 – Who was the MVP of this gym battle? On a related note, who do you think the strongest member of Tristan's team is?**

**That's is for now. I'll make it my goal to get the next chapter up much sooner. (I know I say that almost every chapter, but this time I'll try to make it happen for real). I hope you all enjoyed!**

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan's Team:

Chansey – Level 30 – Seismic Toss, Wish, Healing Wish, Protect

Diggersby – Level 35 – Return, Quick Attack, Double Kick, Mud Shot

Manectric – Level 35 – Discharge, Quick Attack, Thunder Fang, Bite

Gogoat – Level 36– Razor Leaf, Seed Bomb, Bulldoze, Bulk Up

Greninja – Level 36 – Water Pulse, Smack Down, Lick, Shadow Sneak


	21. Chapter 21 - Just the Beginning

**Hello, everyone! It's that time again; it's time for another chapter. Before we get started I just want to thank anyone and everyone who reads/reviews the story. Thanks guys. :P**

** El Torro – Yes, you were wrong with your predictions. But, I did say that I would be surprised if anyone got it exactly correct. As for Deivis, yes, they can be very confusing. But, not everything is as nice as it seems, even the Mega Stone. (Shiny Greninja hype!) Thanks for the review!**

** Blaze Falcon – A mega stone indeed! It's a strange gift when you think about it, though… As for the gym battle, I usually like to keep things unexpected. Frogadier hadn't battled in a while, so I thought that I'd throw him back in and give him a win. It was definitely Tristan's day. (Shiny Greninja hype!) Thanks for reviewing!**

**So, last chapter was, as Blaze Falcon said, Tristan's day. The guy won his fourth badge, received a mega stone and TM Return, and then witnessed his starter evolve into his final stage: Greninja (a shiny one!). The guy's currently on a streak, as he has not lost a gym battle yet. But, this chapter will be focusing on people other than our protagonist. Who are they? Read on, and enjoy this shorter chapter!**

**X – X – X – X**

**Chapter 21 – Just the Beginning**

Jordan tapped on their desk monotonously with their fingernail, pausing every few seconds to glance either the clock on their desk or the monitors hanging on the wall. Who knew that running a criminal organization could be so boring at times? The leader of Deivis sighed and leaned back in their chair, grabbing for the remote to the television that was hanging on the opposite wall.

"I guess this shows how bored I am if I'm watching TV of all things…" they muttered as they hit the power button. The box flashed to life as the Deivis leader leaned back further in their chair. Jordan's countenance changed from one of disinterest to one of intrigue.

The channel that the TV happened to be on was the Pokémon News Channel, or PNC. Jordan grinned as they saw what the current report was. The Deivis leader reached for the remote to turn the volume up. A somewhat short, thin and blue-haired woman was standing in front of a small shop with a microphone in her hand, and she was pointing to the shop as she spoke.

"This small, seaside shop was robbed just last night. The owner said that he arrived at the scene early in the morning to discover that he was missing three Pure Incenses, three Full Incenses, and three Sea Incenses. He assumes that the thief stole them for money, but at this point it's hard to tell. As for the thief's identity, one eyewitness said that they go by the name of Josh, and that they work for an organization called Deivis. Whoever these people are, they're up to some weird things. Be on the lookout for any suspicious activity, and report it to the police immediately. Well, that's all we have for news in Coumarine! Back to you, James."

The Deivis leader growled and mashed the power button, turning the TV off. Donning their black mask, Jordan stood upright and stalked out of the room abruptly.

_Now that they know that the person is from Deivis, the police will be on our tail more often. I bet it's all because of Tristan, too. He was the only one there who could give the information, after all. But, now our reputation is starting to spread, which might be good. Everyone should count himself or herself lucky, too; they haven't seen anything yet, _they remarked with a smirk.

The Deivis leader continued strolling down the hallway.

**X – X – X – X**

Jordan cracked their neck casually and nodded to a Deivis grunt as they passed by, scaring the man half to death. They shook their head and chuckled. They didn't look _that _intimidating, did they?

_If so, Trinity did a fantastic job of making my apparel… _they mused absentmindedly. The Deivis leader glanced up a final time to see that they were nearing the end of the final hallway, one that ended in a large steel door. Jordan approached the door and rapped the door lightly with their knuckles; the door to the vault was still as solid as ever.

Instinctively, the boss of Deivis ran their hand over the keyboard that was perched on the wall and began typing frantically. Within a few seconds, the light above the door flashed green, causing the door to open. Jordan stepped into the room with a sense of eagerness.

The Deivis leader shivered on account of the cold air in the room, and folded their arms in an attempt to stay warm. Jordan jumped in surprise as the door slammed shut behind them.

_Gets me every time…_

The black-clad criminal examined the large and rather empty room. In the middle of the room, however, sat five cages. Several security cameras were aimed at the cages and the door that Jordan had just entered. A grid of lasers surrounded all of the cages. The leader approached the grid cautiously; accidentally touching one of the lasers would mean the loss of a finger. Jordan took a step to the left, coming face to face with a pod that sat outside of the grid. They took a step inside of the pod and shut the door.

A light inside the pod began to blink, and a robotic voice began to speak.

"Beginning scan," it reported.

Suddenly, a bright light enveloped Jordan's body. The sounds of parts working inside of the machine filled the leader's ears, but they ignored it. A few moments passed, and the light finally faded. Jordan breathed a sigh of relief as the door opened.

"Scan complete," the robotic voice announced, "Please continue, Jordan."

As soon as the voice ceased, the laser grid dropped. Jordan approached the cages that resided in the center of the room. Opening them was a tedious process, as one needed a correct fingerprint, correct password, and a correct pair of eyes. Jordan stood directly in front of one of the cages and leaned forward, placing their eye in front of a scanner. The scanner blinked and flashed a digital checkmark, recognizing the black clad figure. One fingerprint scanner and one password later, the cage finally opened.

To the Deivis leader's joy, the incenses were still there, all nine of them. Jordan smirked and, interlocking their hands, placed their arms behind their back.

_If they made a news story about us stealing some incenses, I'd love to see what their reaction is to what we'll be doing eventually. Oh, this is just the beginning._

Jordan chuckled and, after shutting the cage and activating the laser grid, exited the vault. They still had work to do.

**X – X – X – X**

"It doesn't hurt to be a bit more social, Bisharp," Blade said as he took a seat next to the steel type. The dark type shrugged and folded his arms yet again before looking off in the distance. Blade frowned for a second.

"What's up this time?" the teen inquired seriously. Bisharp sighed and gazed at his trainer. His bladed hands cut through the air to outline the shape of a box, and the dark type pointed to his neck. Blade held a finger up.

"Oh, I get it. Hold on." The sixteen-year-old ran a hand through his black hair and grumbled. Where did he put the translators? Blade checked the nightstand that sat by his bed as well as the desk that he had by the window, but he couldn't find what he was searching for. Suddenly, a light went on in the teen's head.

"Or I could, y'know, check the backpack that I store travel-related items in…" he muttered. Blade grabbed his backpack and dropped it on his bed. Rummaging through the travel accessory was the only thing he cared about at the moment. A few moments passed and, luckily, a translator was finally located.

"Here you go, Bisharp," Blade said as he clipped the translator around his Pokémon's neck. Bisharp thanked him.

"Ah, finally! As weird as I sound with this thing on, it's good to be able to communicate effectively with you. Anyway, I was saying that I think it's about time to talk to Tristan. We can't keep him in the dark for much longer, you know. Even _they _agree with what I just said. You should say something," the steel type advised. Blade exhaled slowly and shook his head.

"I know what you're saying, but do you really think it's a good idea? Yeah, he'll have to be told soon, but should it really be now? He's only halfway through his badge hunt, Bisharp. I think we should wait," the teen responded. The Sword Blade Pokémon sighed and shrugged simultaneously.

"Have it your way. You'll have to say something eventually, so keep that in mind. But, speaking of the kid, I'd like to go see how he's doing. I'm sure he's gotten even stronger since last time, and I'm itching for a battle. Who knows? You might have to use Skarmory to battle him this time around. You all know that we could use the practice; I'd hate to see myself or the others become rusty." Blade laughed and gave Bisharp a pat on the back.

"Sounds good! Alright, everyone, we're going!" Blade shouted. He was met with nods and cheers of approval, prompting the teen to retrieve some Poké Balls from his belt. Most of his party was returned in several flashes of light as he tossed the spherical devices into the air, except for Skarmory.

"Ready to go, Skarmory?" he inquired. The metal bird grinned and flapped his wings powerfully. Blade chuckled as he waved the large bird outside and hopped onto his back.

"Off we go, then." Skarmory flapped its wings again and, after running a short distance, zipped through the air and towards Coumarine City.

_Bisharp is right about Tristan, though, I'm sure of it, _Blade thought,_ He has to have gotten much stronger, or he wouldn't have beaten Ramos on his first try. He has a strong team despite it being mostly comprised of underused Pokémon. I can't wait to see what heights he'll reach in the future. I'm sure this is just the beginning._

**X – X – X – X**

**Well, folks, that's the end of it! I know that this chapter is really short, but that's because the next chapter will feature some very interesting events. I won't say what they are, of course, so you'll have to stay tuned.**

**So, be honest here. Do you like smaller chapters like these that involve Deivis and Blade? I enjoy slowly revealing secrets through chapters like this one, and I hope you all enjoy it as well. See you all later!**

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan's Team:

Chansey – Level 30 – Wish, Seismic Toss, Healing Wish, Protect

Diggersby – Level 35 – Quick Attack, Return, Mud Shot, Double Kick

Manectric – Level 35 – Quick Attack, Thunder Fang, Bite, Discharge

Gogoat – Level 36 – Razor Leaf, Seed Bomb, Bulldoze, Bulk Up

Greninja – Level 36 – Water Pulse, Shadow Sneak, Lick, Smack Down


	22. Chapter 22 - A Mega Failure

**Welcome anyone and everyone to chapter 22! This chapter is kind of a continuation of the previous chapter, which was very short by the way. Last chapter focused on Deivis and Blade, with the leader of Deivis checking up on some items that they had stolen and Blade deciding to meet up with Tristan. So, if this chapter is a continuation of that, what does that mean? You guessed it; Tristan and Blade have another meet up. What could possibly happen? Read on! (Though I will place reviews right after this, so you might have to skip those if you really want to start reading).**

** Blaze Falcon – You are correct! Deivis and Blade have VERY big plans. But, I won't just tell you what they are. :P You'll have to find out by reading the chapters to come, though I will say that Deivis isn't very passive. Thanks for the review!**

** El Torro – Yes, it was a very quick update for an equally short chapter. I wanted to write a smaller chapter just for Blade and Jordan instead of adding them to another chapter. I think it worked well. Also, Jordan's gender is still a mystery, yes. I wouldn't call you an idiot for not realizing that right away, though. :/ Finally, as much as I love to keep readers in the dark, I will say this: All five cages are the same size. If they're putting the incenses in a cage large enough for a legendary Pokémon, that's some wasted space right there. That's all I'll say. :) Thanks for reviewing!**

**Now we begin! Enjoy!**

**X – X – X – X**

**Chapter 22 – A Mega Failure**

Tristan punched the air emphatically and cheered as he exited the Pokémon Center.

"Man! All three of us won Ramos' badge without any trouble!" the teen exclaimed. Dash nodded and exhaled deeply.

"You can say that again! I was worried for a second that I was going to lose that match and hold us back," the tall trainer admitted. Monica punched him playfully on the arm.

"Oh please! You had that match in the bag from the very start! Also, if you _did _somehow lose, Tristan and I wouldn't have minded," she remarked. Dash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Yeah, I guess so…" The dark-skinned teen trailed off and fixed his gaze on the ocean. A few moments of silence passed before Dash suddenly burst to life.

"Oh man! We're already halfway through the badge hunt! Oh that's so awesome! We shouldn't waste time, you two, let's get going!" Before Tristan or Monica could object, Dash waved them on and sped towards the gate that led to the next route. Tristan and Monica glanced at each other as they bolted after him, struggling to keep up with the speedy trainer.

"It's the same old Dash, energetic as always," the blond said while rolling her eyes. Tristan laughed.

"Indeed it is! But, to be honest, that's just fine with me." Monica mirrored Tristan's grin.

"Yep!" the girl agreed, "Now, let's get going before Dash too far ahead." Tristan nodded, and the two continued to sprint after their friend in silence.

**X – X – X – X**

A pair of feet and a pair of talons hit the ground simultaneously. Blade smiled and rubbed the top of Skarmory's head. The metallic bird smiled at the affection and nuzzled into his trainer's hand.

"Thank you for the flight, Skarmory. You were excellent as always." The teen and his bird exchanged nods, and Blade zapped his winged ally into a Poké Ball. The teen shoved his hands into his pockets and exhaled.

"Now, let's see if I can find Tristan," he said quietly. Blade took a few steps forward, almost immediately passing through the doors to the Pokémon Center. The trainer's blackish-gray eyes locked on to a pink haired woman sitting at the desk.

"Excuse me, Nurse Joy?" he inquired, catching her attention, "Have you seen a boy around here that's a few inches shorter than me? He should be travelling with two of his friends: a blond girl and a boy that's much taller than him." The pink haired lady tilted her head to the side and stroked her chin.

"Now that you mention it, yes, I have seen them. I think they've already headed off to the next route, the one that leads to Lumiose City," she responded confidently. Blade grinned.

"Thank you." The trainer whirled around abruptly and, grabbing a Poké Ball, exited the center. Within seconds, Blade tossed the Poké Ball that he was holding into the air. Skarmory squawked in confusion as soon as it was summoned.

"Turns out that Tristan is already moving along the next route. If you don't mind, I'd like to fly there." The teen didn't have to say another word. Skarmory crouched down and Blade hopped onto his back. Wordlessly, the two took off into the air.

**X – X – X – X**

The sound of a complaint cut through the air.

"You're resting _now_?!" Dash inquired with exasperation, "We've only been travelling for thirty minutes!" Monica glared at the talkative teen as she sat down on a rock next to Tristan.

"If you want to keep going you can, but I'm staying here," the girl stated with finality. Dash sighed and took a seat next to Monica.

"Fine," the teen grumbled. Tristan laughed under his breath and shook his head before reaching for his bag. The teen rummaged through the travel item for a few moments. Tristan cheered mentally when he located what he was searching for.

"Oh yeah!" Dash exclaimed, "I had almost forgotten that you had that thing!" Tristan turned the mega stone over in his hands multiple times while grinning.

"Mega evolution is powerful, I'm sure of it. I'm really looking forward to using this thing," Tristan remarked. Monica and Dash nodded.

"You and me both," the blond agreed. Tristan continued to observe the mega stone as he reached for his belt of Poké Balls. The teen suddenly released all five of his team members at once.

"Hey guys!" Tristan greeted. Chansey smiled and waved, while Gogoat, Greninja and Diggersby acknowledged their trainer with a nod. Tristan laughed as Manectric tackled him off of the rock he was perched on.

"It's good to see you too, Manectric," the teen said as the hyper canine got off of him. Tristan paused to reach for his Pokédex, gathering the electronic device in his hands. After turning on the translator that came with the Pokédex, Tristan resumed speaking.

"So, I received one of these as a gift not too long ago…" the teen began as he presented the object in his hand to his Pokémon, "This is a mega stone. One of you is supposed to be able to wear this thing and, when we activate it, one of you will gain a lot of power." At the mention of gaining power, Diggersby and Gogoat's ears perked up, and Greninja became more attentive. Tristan stifled a laugh.

"I'm down for more power," Gogoat said with a smirk. Greninja and Manectric nodded in agreement. Tristan grinned.

"I know you all like the sound of it, but this stone only works with one of you. So, who's willing to test it?" the teen inquired. Diggersby and Gogoat immediately shoved their way to the front before glaring at each other and bickering. Tristan sighed.

Suddenly, the sound of loud squawking filled the teen's ears. Monica, Dash and Tristan all spun around in surprise to see a large, metal bird land on the ground. A teenager wearing black hopped off of the bird's back and gave it a pat on the back. Tristan's face lit up with recognition.

"Blade!" the brown haired teen greeted. Blade approached the trio with a look of excitement plastered on his face.

"Hey! Good to see you all!" the black haired trainer responded as Skarmory walked beside him. Monica and Dash exchanged glances briefly before welcoming Blade with smiles. Blade exhaled and dug into his jacket pockets. The teen eyed Monica and Dash briefly before chuckling.

"Sorry about that. I'm just hoping that I haven't forgotten your names, as I tend to be forgetful. Dash and Monica, right?" Blade inquired while secretly crossing his fingers. The two confirmed that his guesses were correct, relieving the teen.

"Awesome! Now, let's see what we have here…" Blade trailed off as he turned and looked over Tristan's shoulder. The dark-eyed trainer whistled as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Wow, that's a solid team! They all look pretty strong," he complimented. Tristan grinned as his team accepted the praise.

"Heck yeah they are. They're more than ready to battle you, too," he shot back with confidence. Blade smirked.

"We can battle here and now, if you'd like to. Use all of the Pokémon that you have, and switch as often as you want," Blade said. Tristan considered the idea and weighed the options in his head before glancing in a cursory manner at Dash and Monica.

"If those two are alright with it," Tristan said as he jerked a thumb towards his friends, "I'm all for it!" Dash and Monica shrugged, though Tristan wasn't able to see it.

"Knock yourself out," Monica replied. Tristan and his team cheered mentally and audibly as Blade took multiple steps back. The taller teen waved Skarmory onto the battlefield.

"You're up, my friend," Blade stated calmly. The metallic bird squawked its approval and stepped onto the battlefield. Tristan stroked his chin. _This is new…_

Tristan gave his party a once over and finally rested his eyes on one Pokémon in particular.

"Gogoat, what do you say about kicking this off?" Tristan asked rhetorically. The grass type smirked and marched onto the battlefield, swiping a hoof on the ground in a taunting manner.

"We begin now!" Blade called out abruptly, "Skarmory, use Spikes!" The large metal bird shrieked and loosed multiple iron spikes from his wings. The projectiles flew through the air and embedded themselves in the dirt below Gogoat.

"Run at him and use Seed Bomb!" Tristan shouted, ignoring Skarmory's move. Gogoat did as he was told and blitzed his avian adversary, showing no signs of slowing down. The grass type's coat shone a dull red, and Gogoat rocketed three glowing seeds into the air. The explosive round crashed into Skarmory, and the steel type squawked angrily as it began to plummet towards the earth. Blade smirked.

"Brave Bird!" he ordered quickly. Skarmory began his rapid descent to the ground, pulling up just in time to surround his body in a fiery blue aura. The avian sped forward and crushed Gogoat with its metal body, sending the grass type rolling backwards. Skarmory landed on the ground and winced as static surrounded its frame, signaling recoil from Brave Bird.

"Are you alright, Gogoat?" To Tristan's relief, his confident friend stood up with little effort while shaking his leafy coat free of dirt. Tristan grinned.

"Let's keep going! Seed Bomb!" the teen called out. Blade smirked, and Tristan raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Dodge and Whirlwind," the taller trainer countered calmly. Skarmory screeched loudly and dove under the explosive attack. Suddenly, the metal bird's wings became outlined in white, and Skarmory vigorously flapped his wings. A powerful wind came forth from the steel type's wings, one that met Gogoat head on. The grass type grunted as he attempted to resist the powerful force, but was not able to.

Tristan's eyes widened as Gogoat was tossed into the air and out of the battlefield. The arrogant Pokémon crashed to the ground in a daze, and Tristan whirled around to find a confused Chansey sitting on the battlefield. Before the teen could even speak, Chansey cried out in pain as metal spikes shot out of the ground. Tristan frowned. _I almost forgot what Whirlwind even did. But, now that I think about it, this seems bad._

"Chansey, we'll just have to roll with it! Charge Skarmory!" Chansey, though shaken up slightly, nodded and charged forward with reckless abandon. Blade chuckled at the interesting strategy.

"Meet Chansey with Brave Bird!" he shouted as an arm was thrown to the side. Skarmory sped forward as a fiery blue aura surrounded his frame, yet Chansey did not back down. The metallic bird's sharp beak finally made contact, but not with what was expected. Chansey giggled and clapped happily as the flying type crashed into the green barrier that she had prepared.

"Now, Seismic Toss!" Every spectator gasped as Chansey proceeded to wrap her avian opponent in a bear hug and leap high into the air. Seconds later, the deceptively strong normal type slammed Skarmory into the ground, kicking up clumps of dirt in the process.

"Are you alright, Skarmory?" Blade cried out in worry. The bird stumbled back to its trainer with multiple scratches on its metal coating, but nodded nonetheless. Blade sighed and waved the bird back to the battlefield.

"Try and get a Roost in, if you can," the teen ordered quietly. Skarmory stepped quickly onto the grassy terrain and tucked its wings in. Within seconds, the bird reared its head back and cried out loudly as the scratches faded. Blade grinned and Tristan mumbled something under his breath.

"There we go! Now, go for Spikes!" Blade continued. The same metal projectiles from earlier were flung onto the battlefield, but they faded into the ground quickly. Tristan ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"Chansey, come back," he instructed. The healer nodded reluctantly and took a seat next to her teammates, who were eagerly waiting for their name to be called.

"Gogoat, let's get back out there." The grass type nodded and approached the battlefield with a smirk, which quickly faded as metal spikes dug into his body. Gogoat winced from the chip damage, but stood strong. Suddenly, Blade spoke out, giving Tristan and Gogoat no time to think.

"Brave Bird!"

"Uh, Bulldoze to block its path!" Tristan shouted frantically.

Skarmory made no effort to move as Gogoat slammed his front hooves on the ground to erect a barrier of earth. The steel type charged on as he was cloaked in energy, smashing through the Bulldoze with ease. Gogoat's eyes widened as Skarmory clobbered him with its wing. The grass type was knocked over and sent rolling off of the battlefield. Tristan whirled around in shock; the attack was much more powerful than he expected.

"Gogoat?" There was no response. Tristan approached his fallen friend and saw that the grass type was down for the count. Sighing, the teen recalled Gogoat. Tristan stroked his chin. _Who to use now? Skarmory seems to be able to power through everything, as well as take whatever I can throw at it. It's taken Gogoat's best attacks with ease… Oh wait!_

"Greninja," Tristan said with a grin, "You're up." The black and red frog leapt forward eagerly and crouched down, wanting to jump into the fight immediately. The shiny creature winced in pain, however, as Skarmory's spikes returned with a vengeance. Blade grinned as he saw Tristan's choice of Pokémon.

"Ah, it's the shiny Greninja with Protean. This will be _very _interesting… Skarmory, one final Spikes!"

"Stop Skarmory with Smack Down!" Tristan yelled in an attempt to counter the entry hazard move. Skarmory waved its wings and began to toss metal spikes onto the field, but Greninja was determined to stop the flying type. The starter Pokémon generated a boulder in his mouth and launched it at his airborne opponent, who had no time to dodge because it was still generating Spikes. Skarmory was struck by the rock type attack and began to plummet, unable to right itself.

"Skarmory, pull up!" Blade called out desperately. The Armor Bird Pokémon panicked, attempting to flap its wings, but still could not. Tristan smirked.

"Run at it and use Water Pulse in midair!" the trainer commanded as he punched the air. With great agility, the ninja frog sprinted across the battlefield and gathered aquatic energy in his hand. Greninja leapt upwards and reared his hand back before nailing Skarmory in the face with Water Pulse. The bird screeched loudly upon taking the powerful attack, worrying Blade and causing Greninja to cheer mentally.

The heavy Pokémon finished its descent and landed with a loud thud, startling not only the spectators, but also nearby wild Pokémon. Blade quickly ran forward and knelt next to the steel type, hoping that it was still in good shape. The teen in black grabbed for a Poké Ball when he saw that Skarmory was out of it.

"Thank you, Skarmory, return." Exhaling dramatically, Blade approached his side of the battlefield and grabbed for another Poké Ball. Despite his Pokémon going down, the trainer didn't seem disappointed. In fact, the teen in black wore a smirk.

"The real fight begins now," he stated simply. Blade reached for a Poké Ball and tossed it onto the battlefield without another word. Tristan's eyes widened with realization. A primarily red Pokémon with white and gray accents stood in front of him, one that sported bladed hands.

"Bisharp…" the teen muttered, "Greninja, come back for now." The frog nodded and obediently stepped back, allowing for another Pokémon to enter the battlefield. Tristan waved Chansey forward.

"Chansey, are you up for another round?" the teen asked. The healer nodded and fearlessly stepped onto the battlefield. Tristan winced as he heard Chansey's scream, which was caused by Skarmory's triple layered Spikes. Chansey, though in a great deal of pain, gritted her teeth and readied herself for battle.

"Use Wish!" Tristan instructed, wanting the normal type to regain health. Blade shook his head.

"Don't let her, Bisharp!" Blade shouted as he cracked his knuckles. Chansey frantically gathered energy between her arms, allowing it to wrap around her. The normal type began to throw the energy into the air, but was stopped when Bisharp bashed her over the head with a glowing, black palm. Chansey stumbled backwards while clutching her head in pain. The normal type suddenly froze up and crashed to the ground with swirls for eyes; she was knocked out.

"Thank you, Chansey, return," the teen said quietly as he placed a Poké Ball back on his belt. _I guess Bisharp's gotten a lot stronger, too. The damage from Spikes doesn't help, either. Well, let's hop to it._

"Let's go, Diggersby." The rabbit grinned confidently and stepped forward while cracking his knuckles, not allowing his grin to fade as the spikes dug into him through sheer willpower.

"I admire Diggersby's resilience, but we'll see how long he can stand! Bisharp, Iron Head!" In the blink of an eye, the dark type stepped across the battlefield as his head harbored a metallic sheen. The menacing Pokémon brought his head down like an axe on top of Diggersby's head, but the normal type reacted with surprising speed and caught the attack between its ears.

"Double Kick!" Tristan shouted with a grin on his face. Diggersby mimicked his trainer's facial expression and hopped up. Within a second, the normal type dropkicked his dark type opponent, who was sent stumbling backwards while clutching his stomach.

"Don't let up! Mud Shot!" Diggersby dug into the ground with his massive ear and picked up a large ball of dirt, which was flung at Bisharp. The steel type suddenly flickered out of the way, however, and appeared behind Diggersby as his arm was surrounded in swirling, black energy. Bisharp smirked as he dug his bladed fist into Diggersby's back, causing the portly rabbit to face-plant in the dirt.

"Are you alright, Diggersby?" Tristan asked worriedly, knowing that Bisharp was a strong Pokémon. The normal type simply grunted as he pushed his self off of the ground with his ears, standing tall moments later. He flashed his trainer a thumbs up and cracked his knuckles once more. Before Tristan could respond, Blade leapt into action.

"Knock Off!" Tristan looked up just in time to see Bisharp standing above Diggersby with his arm raised. The dark type slammed his energy-coated palm onto Diggersby's head, but the rabbit refused to budge an inch.

"Double Kick!" Tristan commanded hastily. Another drop kick from the powerful normal type knocked Bisharp onto his back, causing Tristan to celebrate tacitly.

"Quick Attack into Return while he's down!" the brown haired trainer barked tactically. White streaks of light trailed Diggersby while a blue aura surrounded the hare; Diggersby seemed to radiate power as he sped towards his fallen foe.

"Double Sucker Punch!" Blade's voice cut through the air like a knife. Suddenly Bisharp pushed his self up and flickered out of sight. Diggersby came to a skidding halt and, as soon as he did, Bisharp jabbed him in the back with two glowing fists. Diggersby was speechless as he fell to the ground with a thud. Bisharp folded his arms silently and stood in front of Blade. With a gasp, Tristan reached for a Poké Ball. Diggersby, too, was down.

"Diggersby, return. Now, Greninja, let's get back out there." The water type nodded silently and stepped onto the battlefield, wincing in pain as he tried to not to shout because of Skamory's Spikes. Tristan was worried inwardly about Greninja's waning stamina, though he tried not to show it.

"Greninja, let's wait." Tristan instructed, hoping that his voice didn't waver. The frog opted not to respond, instead focusing his gaze on his opponent. Blade chuckled and then shrugged.

"I guess they're waiting for us, Bisharp! Swords Dance!" The steel type grinned as large swords suddenly appeared around his head and began to rotate. A few seconds passed before a red ring surrounded his frame, showing an attack boost. Tristan frowned.

"Looks like we're going to them, then! Greninja, Shadow Sneak!" With a smirk, the frog shone a dark gray and melted into the ground, traveling silently towards his opponent. A mere second went by before Greninja burst out of the ground and rammed into Bisharp, catching the steel type off guard and knocking him over. However, with quick reflexes, Bisharp performed a backflip and lunged at his amphibian adversary.

"Knock Off!" Blade called. Bisharp nodded and obediently bashed Greninja over the head with a glowing palm. The water type cried out as he took the super effective attack and immediately fell face first to the ground, out cold. With a sigh, Tristan held up his starter's Poké Ball.

"Greninja, return. You did a great job," the teen praised, knowing that it was hard for his starter to keep up with Bisharp after taking so much damage.

"Things are getting interesting!," Tristan called out abruptly, "You've pushed me further than any other trainer so far, Blade. But trust me when I say I will knock out your Bisharp if it's the last thing I do!" Blade grinned at the confident statement.

"Good! I like the confidence! Oh, and Bisharp says that he'd like to see you try!" he responded with a chuckle. Tristan smirked.

"Manectric, let's get out there!" The electric type howled ecstatically and rushed on to the battlefield, wanting revenge for his last battle against Bisharp. The canine paused and yelped in pain, however, as Skarmory's Spikes dug into his paws. Manectric shook his head vigorously and stepped forward, though, as he refused to back down. At this Blade raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not entirely sure why I just now remembered this, but Manectric can mega evolve. You don't happen to have a mega stone for it, do you?" the teen in black inquired. Tristan gasped and began to rummage through his bag. The brown haired teen finally acquired the stone and held it in his outstretched palm. Blade nodded.

"Yep, that's definitely Manectite. Give it to Manectric and see if you can get him to mega evolve," Blade instructed. Tristan nodded and threaded a black string though the mega stone before tying the necklace around Manectric's neck. The teen scratched behind Manectric's ear and grinned ecstatically.

"Ready to try it?" he asked the electric type. The canine nodded quickly and began to wag his tail. Tristan exhaled dramatically and lifted his arm as if he were looking at a watch. A simple black band was wrapped around his wrist; it was the band the held the key stone that he was given. The teen tapped the key stone lightly, already anticipating the mega evolution.

As Tristan tapped the stone, the Manectite around Manectric's neck began to glow brilliantly. A bright, rainbow-colored aura surrounded the electric type's frame, and Manectric let out a loud roar as the energy consumed him. Tristan swelled with excitement. Suddenly, however, purple static appeared around Manectric's body. The electric type let out an ear-piercing howl and crashed to the ground in pain. The rainbow aura faded, leaving Manectric twitching on the ground. A worried Tristan knelt by Manectric's side.

"Are you okay? Blade, what's wrong with him?" he inquired, trying to stop his voice from shaking. The teen in black hastily returned Bisharp and approached Manectric, who still had static coming off of him.

"Uhh," Blade muttered as he scratched the back of his head, "Just return Manectric for now. Once you get him to a Pokémon Center he should be fine. The mega evolution process was just too much power for him to handle, I guess." Tristan gathered a Poké Ball in hand and returned Manectric, standing up simultaneously.

"Too much power? As in Manectric isn't strong enough yet?" Tristan asked. Blade nodded.

"It's funny, actually. Your problem is the opposite of most. Usually trainers can't mega evolve their Pokémon because they don't have a strong enough bond. Weirdly enough, you and Manectric seem to have a great bond, but Manectric's not able to handle the power. Try mega evolving him after your next gym badge," the teen recommended. Tristan breathed a sigh of relief.

"You had me concerned for a moment. Well, I've talked for too long. I'm getting Manectric to a Pokémon Center as soon as I can. See you later, Blade." Tristan turned to wave to the trainer in black one last time, but stopped. The Bisharp owner was sitting down on a rock, clutching his left eye and grimacing. Monica and Dash were standing by him with looks of mild concern.

"What's the matter with you?" Monica queried. Blade shook his head, still grimacing.

"I-I'm fine. You guys should get… going…" The teen suddenly trailed off and leaned back, hitting his head against the rock behind him. Blade rolled off of his seat and into the grass, and the trio gasped at the sight. His left arm hit the grass limply, and his left hand was covered in blood, just like the area around his left eye. Monica shook her head and stepped away, muttering things like 'ew'.

Before anyone could say anything, Dash plucked a Poké Ball from his belt and released Aerodactyl.

"Aerodactyl, I need you to take Blade here and rush him to the Pokémon Center, asap." The fossil Pokémon nodded calmly and, placing the fainted teen on his back, took off into the air. Dash exhaled and glanced at Tristan, who was still silent with disbelief.

"What the heck was that?" the brown haired teen said finally. Dash sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know. It freaked me out, believe it or not. Now's not the time to worry about him, though. We need to get Manectric to the Pokémon Center as well." Tristan nodded.

"Right. Let's get going."

**X – X – X – X**

"**Wait… what? Shadow, what the heck was that?" For those of you who said something like that: I'm so glad you said that! I know some weird things just happened, but bare with me. :)**

**So, this chapter was an interesting one. Blade and Tristan had a crazy battle, and Blade had to play a bit safer this time around. Bisharp and Manectric were about to duke it out, but Manectric was unable to utilize the power of his mega stone. Not long after, Blade abruptly fainted. **

**Will Blade and Manectric be okay? What the heck is wrong with Blade anyway? You'll have to find out. **

**Well, I hope you enjoyed a bit of a crazy chapter. Thanks for reading!**


	23. Chapter 23 - Secrets

**Oh man! It's time for another chapter. This would've been up sooner, but stuff happened. But, it's here now! Chapter 23 is coming your way! I hope you're prepared. (However, this is where I throw in reviews, so you may or may not want to skip that).**

** ElTorro – Is it really what you thought? If so, that's kind of weird. (RIP Blade). Also, thank you for the compliment in regards to the battle. To answer your assumption about Manectric and Bisharp: I thought of going with an alternate outcome in which Manectric would mega evolve and end up knocking out Bisharp, though he would get knocked out in the process. However, I decided against it for a few reasons. As for your answers, well, you'll have to see. Thanks for the review!**

** MangoLimePie – (I'm going to address your review by paragraph, so expect sudden transitions). I'm glad you like Monica! I'll be delving into her character and background a bit more, but you'll have to wait a bit. (You may or may not like her mega). Finally! Somebody noticed the thing with Dash. I hope Dash won't disappoint! Tristan… What can I say? Well, I can say that he won't be catching a Scizor or a Scyther, sorry. As cool as the idea of Bisharp and Scyther/Scizor clashing is, I've already planned all of the things out. Blade is cool, yes. I knew that Bisharp would fit perfectly. As for his condition, that's something that will be revealed eventually. (It could be now, or it could be 10 chapters from now!) Your friendly neighborhood Jordan is a… :) Thanks for the review!**

**Okay, I sometimes take too long when it comes to responses. Lol. I hope you all enjoy Chapter 23!**

**Chapter 23 – Secrets**

Tristan exhaled and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes. His mind wandered back to around two hours in the past, recalling the sight of a black haired teen failing to the ground with blood on his face and hands. Tristan shook his head vigorously, his body shivering. That was not the image that he wanted in his head at the moment. Silently, the teen's eyes focused on a figure sitting in a hospital bed.

The body, though unmoving, was still alive and well; that's what Tristan assumed, at least. The concerned trainer scratched his head and stood up, approaching the side of the bed. Blade's eyes had yet to open for several hours, a fact that unnerved Nurse Joy and Tristan in and of itself. Tristan mentally reprimanded his self. Negative thinking would do him no good. The fifteen-year-old rubbed his eyes tiredly for the second time and started his short trip to his seat in the corner of the small room.

Without any form of warning, Tristan stumbled over an object and ran into the wall, using his hands to steady his body. Fortunately for the trainer, the only thing that had fallen was the object that he had tripped over. It was then that Tristan realized what had just happened. He facepalmed.

"I guess I didn't get enough sleep or something. I was too tired to notice Blade's bag…" the teen muttered. Shaking his head at his clumsiness, Tristan knelt and began to place items back in Blade's backpack. Subconsciously, the Kalosian noted every single item in his mind.

'_A few Poké Balls, six translators, a wad of cash, a Pokédex, a black mask… I guess that's it.' _Tristan breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he hadn't damaged anything. A few moments passed afterward before something registered in the trainer's mind.

"Wait… A mask?" Tristan inquired aloud. The teen knelt down and began to sift through the backpack that was not his, knowing that he probably shouldn't be doing what he was doing. Mere seconds passed before Tristan had the mask in his hands once again.

"This looks… familiar," concluded the teen. Tristan began to sift through his memories, struggling to recall where he had seen a mask like the one in his hands. A gasp escaped the teen's lips.

"No way…" Against his better judgment, Tristan unzipped his backpack and, stuffing the mask inside it, exited the room swiftly. He had to find Monica and Dash.

**X – X – X – X**

Monica yawned and moved a stray strand of hair away from her face, leaning against the back of the wooden bench she was sitting on.

"That's a pretty view," the blond remarked simply as she gazed at the sparkling ocean before her. Dash, who was sitting on the opposite end of the bench, nodded in silent agreement. He had to agree with the teen, as the sight of the pink and orange skies combined with the shimmering seas below was truly a sight to behold, though he would never say so out loud.

"I wonder if Blade's okay…" the girl continued absently. Dash shrugged.

"I'm sure he is. It looked really bad, but Nurse Joy said that he should be totally fine soon. Though I will admit that whatever it is that's wrong with him creeps me out just a bit," the tall teen answered. Monica chuckled.

"Wimp," she said jokingly. Dash rolled his eyes and grinned.

"Oh please, you were just as freaked out as I was!" he countered.

"Fair enough," Monica conceded, placing her hands in the air as a sign of defeat.

Silence ensued. The teens glanced at each other and then looked away just as quickly, trying to avoid any possible awkwardness. It was Dash who finally spoke.

"You know what? I find it funny that we've traveled together for a while now, becoming good friends in the process, and we still don't know that much about each other. I'm sure Tristan would say the same, to be honest." Monica was silent, prompting Dash to rub the back of his head nervously.

"Sorry, that was a bit, uh, sudden…" Monica shook her head vigorously and waved her hands.

"No, no, no, it's not your fault," the blond insisted, "I'm just, uh, not a big fan of sharing about myself…" Dash slapped his self mentally.

'_Did I really expect to be able to ask something like that without something going wrong?' _he pondered.

"S-Sorry…" was all the teen could mutter. Monica shook her head emphatically once again, forcing a smile.

"I'm serious, you're fine," the blond replied. Dash noticed that she refused to make eye contact. Suddenly, the sound of a voice could be heard.

"Dash! Monica! There you guys are!" Tristan exclaimed. The two teens whirled around to see the teen jogging towards them. Dash inwardly thanked his friend for interrupting the awkward moment that had happened.

"Hey, dude, what's up?" Dash inquired. Tristan shrugged.

"A lot, but not a lot at the same time. Here, I'll explain." Before Monica and Dash could answer, Tristan walked around the bench and knelt in front of his two friends. The trainer placed his bag on the ground and unzipped it hurriedly. Seconds later, Tristan brandished the item that he was looking for. A serious look appeared on his face as he held the object for Monica and Dash to see.

"Look familiar?"

**X – X – X – X**

Blade groaned and rubbed his eyes as he sat up. The black haired trainer blinked several times and glanced around the room, his eyes eventually resting on a head of pink hair. Nurse Joy smiled.

"I see you're awake, Blade. How are you feeling?" she greeted cheerily. Blade sighed and leaned against his pillow.

"I'm feeling fine, I guess. Nothing really hurts." Nurse Joy nodded.

"That's good, that's good. But I must say that, as you probably already know, your condition is getting worse. It won't be too long before the worst of it arrives, you know," the kind woman said solemnly. Blade grunted and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, I know. But you know me well enough to know that I won't let that stop me," he stated with a grin. Nurse Joy chuckled.

"Indeed. Just don't go over-doing it, or your condition might get worse. What do you think _they _would think if you suddenly became ineffective?" Blade shrugged at the rhetorical question.

"I'll be fine. Anyway, thanks for the help, Joy, I appreciate it. I'll be on my way now." The black haired trainer threw the bed sheets off of his body and allowed his feet to make contact with the floor. Blade approached the foot of the bed and slung his backpack over his shoulders, kneeling down to put his shoes on his feet in the process.

"You never rest, do you?" Nurse Joy inquired jokingly as she folded her arms. Blade chuckled.

"With a position like mine, you don't have time to. Well, I've got everything I need. See you later, Joy." Blade twisted the doorknob and began to exit the room.

"Good bye, and good luck." Those were the last words that Blade heard before he departed from the Pokémon Center.

**X – X – X – X**

Blade stepped out of the Pokémon Center with a smile plastered on his face. So far everything was going the right way – well, most things at least.

_All of the plans that we've set in place are running smoothly so far. Tristan's becoming stronger each day, which is crucial for our plans. But, _they _haven't done anything yet, which is concerning. Oh well._

"Speak of the devil…" Blade muttered. The black haired teen glanced up, his pattern of thought interrupted. Tristan, Monica and Dash stood in front of him. Blade waved.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" he inquired. Tristan shrugged as Monica and Dash exchanged glances.

"Not much," he began, "How are you feeling?" Blade rubbed his eyes as he spoke.

"I'm fine. Whatever happened shouldn't bother me for much longer…" Blade trailed off, his blackish-gray eyes focusing on the ground beneath his feet.

"Oh! Sorry about the battle, by the way. I can't really do anything about what happened, you know? We'll have to battle again sometime, as it's obvious that you're getting a lot stronger. I'll be looking forward to it," he added with a grin. Tristan nodded slowly. Blade raised an eyebrow.

"What's up?"

"Oh, not much," Tristan iterated as he shrugged in an exaggerated manner, "Nothing at all."

"… I'm going to assume that that's sarcasm," Blade muttered, "Did I do something?" Monica scoffed and stepped forward, locking eyes with the taller teen.

"Oh, you've done something alright! Does this look familiar to you?" Monica inquired with a mixture of thinly veiled anger and annoyance. Blade's eyes widened slightly as he observed the object resting on the blonde's hand.

"How did you…? Why do you have my mask?" The black haired teen tried to snatch the item in question, but Monica pulled it away before Blade could get his hands on it. Blade tried reaching for the mask again.

"Look, I'd appreciate it if I could have that back," the teen said pointedly. Monica shook her head emphatically.

"No way! Helping a member of Deivis is the last thing I want to do!" Blade's jaw dropped and he waved his hands frantically.

"Wait, wait, wait. I can explain!" he exclaimed, trying to snatch the mask yet again. Dash placed his hand on Blade's shoulder and gripped firmly, causing the blackish-gray eyed trainer to wince.

"Look," the African American said, "We don't want to hear it. I don't know what you creeps in black are up to, or why you've decided to target us, but I do know that you should get out. Now." Monica and Dash glared at Blade, and the teen backed away uneasily. The trainer nervously glanced between the two, mentally panicking.

Blade observed Tristan out of the corner of his eyes, hoping that the brown haired teen was on his side. Tristan's face seemed to be devoid of emotion. Blade sighed, knowing that there was no chance of the current situation working in his favor.

"Fine, I'll get out," he mumbled. The defeated trainer tossed a Poké Ball into the air, releasing Skarmory.

"Let's go, my friend." Blade leapt onto the metal bird's back, and Skarmory flew off without another thought. The remaining three watched Blade as he exited.

"Good riddance," Monica opined. The blonde tossed Blade's mask in the trash.

**X – X – X – X**

Skarmory landed on the ground softly and crouched, allowing its trainer to hop off of its back. Blade sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, returning Skarmory to his Poké Ball.

"That… That wasn't supposed to happen." Shaking his head, Blade turned and entered the building that Skarmory had landed in front of. Upon entering, the teen was immediately met with a long hallway that branched off into multiple different paths. The powerful trainer shoved his hands in his pockets and walked forward.

Blade ventured down the hallway at a swift pace, occasionally nodding at passerby and chuckling at those who regarded him as an authority. Suddenly, someone called out, causing the steel user to pause.

"Yo, Blade!"

The teen in question recognized the voice before he even turned around.

"Oh, hey, Korrina," he greeted. The fighting gym leader grinned and skated over to Blade in order to ruffle his hair.

"Welcome! It's not often that we get to see you back. What's the occasion?" the blond inquired jokingly. Blade shrugged and turned his back to Korrina, causing her to frown.

"Not much. I just need to talk to _them_. Well, I'll see you around." Blade began to walk away with the intent of ending the conversation, but Korrina wouldn't allow him. The blond skated in front of the trainer and looked him right in the eyes.

"Well, if you insist on being so secretive, I'm going with you. No ifs, ands, or buts." Blade opened his mouth, already formulating his objection, but was stopped by a look from Korrina that told him to shut up. Blade sighed.

"If you insist. Let's get going, then. There's quite a bit to go over." Nothing more was said as the two walked side by side down the hallway.

**X – X – X – X**

**CUT! Alright people, great work! Wait, this isn't a movie. :o**

**Anyway, that's the end of the chapter! I hope you all enjoyed what little there was. I'm just adding on to the craziness bit by bit, you know? :)**

**Now, you might be thinking: "Dude, what's the big deal? You haven't posted a chapter for weeks!" Yes, I know. I would've loved to post earlier, but something got in the way. It may or may not start with 's' and end in 'chool'.**

**Stupidly long breaks from chapter aside, I'm going to try and get chapters up more frequently. I can't promise it, but I'll try. **

**Finally, feel free to tell me what you liked/didn't like about the chapter! I wonder what you all think about what just went down. Well, that's all I've got to say. Thanks for reading!**

**X – X – X – X**


	24. Chapter 24 - Gray vs Tristan - All Out!

**Hello, everyone! It's that time again! This time around we have a very special chapter… The rare crossover chapter! So, I'm giving a ****huge '****thank you' to El Torro for being willing to work on a crossover. Go check out his writing, please. XD**

**So, before I unleash the awesomeness that is this crossover, let me address all of the reviews (or you can just skip to the crossover, which is the fun part)!**

** El Torro – Yes, Deivis' plans are still a mystery. There will be a chapter coming out sometime in October (I think) that will showcase a big part of their plan, but it still won't reveal it all. It'll be crazy. As for your guess, well, you might be correct for once. :) Thanks for the review!**

** Blaze Falcon – So many things that you, the reader, still don't know! :O Don't worry, all will be revealed eventually. Blade's condition is, well, an interesting one. Their plan will remain a mystery for a while, too. I guess you'll have to keep reading. XD Thanks for reviewing!**

**So, now's the fun part! We have an awesome crossover that's been written by El Torro. But, I did write the first few parts. (Note: Not all of his writing is shown because it pertains to his story and not this one). Here we go!**

**X – X – X – X**

Monica grinned as she saw a tall, white tower in the distance.

"We're almost at Lumiose, guys!" the blond exclaimed as she pointed at the tall building known as Prism Tower. Dash chuckled.

"We're excited why?" the tall boy inquired. Monica turned to the African American and gasped in a dramatic manner, faking indignation.

"I happened to grow up in this city, thank you. I love Lumiose City! There's so much to see and do; I'll have to show you guys around." Tristan shrugged as the trio continued to advance towards Lumiose City.

"That sounds good to me, but we'll have to get there first." Dash and Monica nodded silently, and the three continued travelling with Prism Tower in sight.

**X – X – X – X**

Dash exhaled and crashed on a bench on the side of the street, and Tristan mimicked his actions. Monica placed her hands on her hips.

"You guys can't sit down now! We just got here! We've got all sorts of places to visit, you know." Dash raised his hand, silencing the blond.

"I know this is hard to believe, but I'm kind of tired right now. I'd rather get some rest, and I'm sure our Pokémon would appreciate it, too," Dash argued. As a follow up, the tall teen reached for the Poké Balls on his belt and tossed them into the air, releasing his entire team in multiple flashes of light. Tristan mirrored him. Monica pouted.

"Fine, we'll rest for now, but there's still some really cool stuff I want to show you guys later." Tristan chuckled at this.

"Yeah, we know. We'll get to it later. For now, we'll rest. Right, everyone?" the Kalosian quizzed, referring to his team. His response was chorus of cries, cries of agreement. Tristan grinned, but his grin faded quickly when realization hit him like a truck.

"Hey, this is going to sound weird, but has anyone seen Chansey?" Gogoat and Diggersby glanced at each at each other and shrugged, while Dash and Monica looked around. The egg-shaped creature was nowhere to be seen. Dash sighed.

"That's not good. Let's get searching, then. I say we go that way!" Dash opined as he pointed down a street. Monica shook her head vehemently.

"Let's not go down that way." Dash raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Why not? There's nothing bad over there or anything. It's literally a few run down shops and buildings." Despite his protests, Monica shook her head just as violently. Tristan stepped between the two with raised hands, not wanting the conversation to escalate into an argument.

"Or we could head towards Prism Tower. Chansey may have been attracted to the really cool looking buildings in the center of the city, or the tower itself. We should head there." Monica's mood immediately changed upon hearing the statement.

"Sounds good to me! Let's get going!" Without any warning, the blond began to take strides towards the tall tower in the center of Lumiose. Tristan and Dash recalled their teams, though Tristan decided to keep Greninja out in the open because of his ninja-like perception. After exchanging glances of confusion and concern, the two friends followed Monica to Prism Tower.

**X – X – X – X**

"So, what exactly are we going to do for the next week? Being stuck in a different time period at least would've let us kill time," Cole said, scratching his chin while trying to think of a way to spend his break from traveling.

"That's true. That would've been really cool now that I think about it," Nikki said to Cole, making Eevee and Fortis deadpan.

Gray, meanwhile, rubbed her aching head and Comis had the same reaction, sitting down so he wouldn't vomit, which made Gray laugh slightly. She stopped, however, when her head started hurting once again. Somehow, she had gone through time and battled Tyson, a boy she most likely would've never met. Then again, she could've at least heard of him based on his talent, which would most likely lead to him doing well at a league competition.

"You know, even though we didn't win in the future, I feel like we got a lot stronger," Comis opined, rising to his feet as he did so. "Tyson was so cool! And so were his friends!"

"Haha, you can say that again," Gray told her starter, laughing.

"I still can't believe you didn't beat him. What the hell happened with Ferus and his Mega Evolution? You guys did it back at the Kalos League complex," Cole said to Gray, prompting Nikki to chime in.

"Really. I mean, you guys had it down pat, and then it just went away like that," the blonde said, snapping her fingers. "Look on the bright side; you and Ferus still tied against a Gabite!"

"You're right. I just wish we could've won that! Ugh. This sucks!" Gray shouted, stomping on the ground like a child.

As she continued making a scene, Gray slowly began to relax, and she was surrounded by a strange aura, which caught everyone's attention. Now smiling, Gray let out a peaceful sigh and sat down, confusing Comis. Suddenly, the winged Pokemon noticed a fat, pink creature pointing at Gray from afar, and he angrily flew towards it. Before he could strike, the creature hugged Comis tightly, crushing him.

"Let go of me!" the Gligar begged, making the friendly Pokemon sweat drop as she didn't know her own strength. Slowly, she did as was requested, and Comis fell on the ground, gasping for air.

Gray, Cole, Slakoth, Nikki, and Eevee hurried over to Comis' side and stared at the smiling Pokemon, who waved kindly, and Gray pulled out her Pokedex.

"Chansey, the Egg Pokemon. Few in number and difficult to capture, it is said to bring happiness to the trainer who catches it."

Gray looked back at the friendly Pokemon as Comis hopped on her head, and she slowly reached for a Pokeball out of her bag. Before she could throw it, Gray saw a teenage boy running forwards, and he eventually stopped once he reached Chansey's side.

He was 5'5", about an inch shorter than Gray, and his blue eyes locked on to the girl before bowed. He was also wearing dark blue jeans with a navy t-shirt, and his black running shoes looked to be worn out.

Next to him were a boy and girl. The latter was an inch shorter than Chansey's trainer, and she had light skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes that shifted between Gray, Nikki, and Cole nervously.

The boy, meanwhile, had dark skin and was a few inches taller than the two teens he was standing next to. A nonchalant look was on his face, giving off a calm aura that seemed to clash with the girl's.

"Thanks for finding Chansey. She never runs off like that, so I don't know what got in to her. My name's Tristan, and this is Greninja," he said as a black frog appeared by his side in a cloud of smoke, making Gray and her friends gasp in shock before putting their hands over their racing hearts. "And these are my friends, Monica and Dash."

"It's nice to meet you," Dash and Monica said in unison, smiling at the three teens standing across from them.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Gray, and these are my Pokemon, Comis and Fortis," Gray replied while pointing at her Gliscor and Flygon, the latter of whom stood behind her and spread his wings, smiling warmly.

"I'm Nikki, and this is my starter, Eevee."

"The name's Cole. And that's Slakoth."

After exchanging introductions, the group of trainers sat down on a pair of benches by Prism Tower, and they talked about their travels.

"So if you're competing in the Silver Conference, why are you here?" Dash asked curiously, prompting Fortis to flap his wings slightly.

"A friend of mine is helping Fortis train while I compete, so we were offered to come here and spend some time with him," Gray answered while patting Fortis on the back with a smile. "What about you guys? If you're all trainers, isn't it kind of weird traveling with someone you're competing against?"

Tristan, Dash, and Monica exchanged looks, almost as if they had never thought that way before, and Tristan shrugged, not knowing how to answer.

"We're friends, so we can put our competitiveness behind us," Monica told Gray, who nodded and released her Pokemon for some fresh air, prompting Nikki and Tristan to do the same.

"Oh wow! That's a strong set of Pokemon you have there," Cole pointed out while looking at Tristan's team. "And they're all underappreciated Pokemon!"

Tristan's Greninja, Diggersby, Gogoat, Chansey, and Manectric looked at one another, not knowing that their individual species were undervalued by trainers across the globe, and they glanced over at Gray's team.

"Hey, so are Gray's Pokemon, kind of," Dash announced while eyeing Gray's Pokemon.

Comis, Acer, Ferus, Pertinax, Agrestis, and Placidus exchanged glances just like Tristan's Pokemon had, and they shrugged in response, except Comis.

"Hey, Gliscor are popular! We're the most popular species in the world!" he proclaimed, making Tristan's Gogoat laugh, enraging Comis. "What's so funny, pinhead?" the winged Pokemon asked, making everyone go silent while Gogoat's laughter turned to snarling.

"I'll rip you apart, you bum," Gogoat retorted while swiping at the ground, prompting Ferus to step forwards and come to his teammate's defense.

"Hold on, we don't mean any trouble. Comis is stupid, so he doesn't think before he speaks," the fire type told Gogoat, who continued his staredown with Comis, refusing to respond to Ferus. Pertinax, meanwhile, held Comis back and prevented the scorpion from attacking Tristan's Pokemon.

"Gogoat, you need to relax," Diggersby said, walking over to his friend's side while Chansey prepared to hold the powerful Pokemon back.

"Hey, why don't you guys battle?" Nikki suggested, drawing looks from Gray, Tristan, and their Pokemon.

"Why not? I could always use some training," Gray started. "Especially since we're taking a break from Gym Badges," the girl concluded with a smile, prompting Tristan to nod and look at his Pokemon before noticing he didn't have as many as Gray.

"The only problem I have is that you have one more Pokemon than me," the boy informed Gray, who shook her head, confusing Tristan, Monica, and Dash.

"No worries. One of mine will sit out."

000

"This will be a five versus five battle between Gray and Tristan, where both trainers may substitute their Pokemon freely! Furthermore, the battle will be over when all Pokemon on one side are unable to continue! Now, choose your first Pokemon!" Cole shouted, pointing at both trainers, who were standing on opposite ends of the battlefield behind the Pokemon Center.

Both sides' Pokemon were standing along the bleachers off the side of the battlefield, and they were more than ready to engage in battle. The two teams could sense how strong the other was, adding an unexpected flare of intensity.

"Placidus, you're up first!" Gray shouted while pointing at the Bergmite, making him scurry forwards.

"Greninja, go!" Tristan shouted as he motioned for his starter, who quickly hopped over and bowed to Placidus respectfully. The shiny starter then took a battling stance, and Cole looked at both sides before continuing.

"This battle will be between Placidus and Greninja! Begin!"

"Greninja, use Shadow Sneak!" Tristan commanded loudly.

Doing as he was told, Greninja did several hand signs before disappearing into the ground as a shadow. Then, he sped towards Placidus before reappearing and kicking him in the face. Slowly, the ice type rose to his feet, but he grimaced in pain, and his five teammates noticed along with Fortis, though they didn't say anything.

"Hang in there, Placidus! Use Ice Fang!" Gray ordered.

Placidus nodded at the command before taking off, opening his mouth, which was where he was channeling all of his energy. Two fangs of light blue energy appeared from his mouth, and Placidus continued to charge. Tristan, however, maintained his composure and quickly issued a counterattack.

"Not on our watch! Smack Down!"

For the second time, Greninja fired a boulder from his mouth, and Placidus was unable to dodge. The super effective attack crushed the ice type and he rolled along the ground in pain, trying his best to get back up while everyone on the sidelines looked on in concern.

"Oh man that did a lot of damage!" Nikki shouted while covering her eyes with her hands before peeking through to see Placidus rise to his feet.

"That's right. Rock type moves are super effective against ice types, so Gray's in for a rough battle if she keeps Placidus in," Dash added while the rest of Gray's Pokemon continued to stand silently on the sideline.

"Now, Placidus, charge and use Take Down!"

Placidus shook off the pain surging through his body, and he sprinted across the battlefield while being engulfed in golden light. Greninja and Tristan were caught off guard by the speed of the attack, and Placidus rammed into the water type's chest, sending him flying back. Somehow, Greninja spun in the air and landed on his feet gracefully, making Gray frown.

"Now do it again!"

"Greninja, use Smack Down again!" Tristan shouted.

Rearing his head back, Greninja grunted while a boulder appeared in front of his open mouth while Placidus started charging towards him. As soon as Greninja fired the super effective attack, Gray snapped her fingers, catching the attention of everyone.

"Stop running and counter with Ice Ball!"

Placidus planted his feet into the ground and stopped running immediately while opening his mouth. Then, he shot a ball of ice at the incoming boulder, but Gray gasped in shock when Placidus' attack was shattered. She then flinched as Placidus was crushed by the boulder, and he let out a loud cry of pain while skidding along the battlefield on his back.

"Now finish this with Water Pulse!" Tristan ordered, seizing the opportunity to attack.

Greninja nodded at his trainer and formed a large sphere of water in his right hand before jumping in the air. Once he reached his apex, Greninja hurled the water type attack at Placidus, and it exploded on contact, sending the ice type spiraling into Gray. After getting up, Gray saw that her Pokemon was unconscious, making her bite her lip worriedly.

"Placidus is unable to battle! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!" Cole shouted.

"Greninja, return," Tristan called to his starter, who walked back to his trainer's side and stood quietly while Tristan's four other Pokemon anxiously waited to be picked.

"Holy crap," Cole muttered under his breath as he watched Greninja return to Tristan's side with a smile. "Is Greninja's ability Protean?" he asked himself before scanning Greninja with his Pokedex, showing that his ability was, in fact, Protean.

"Thanks for the great effort, Placidus," Gray said to the downed Pokemon's capsule, clipping it on her belt while looking over at her five remaining Pokemon. "Comis, I choose you!" she shouted, prompting the enthusiastic Pokemon to zip over to his trainer before landing in front of her on his tail, snapping the air with his claws while staring at Gogoat.

Slowly, the grass type made his way onto the battlefield and stood in front of Tristan, who sweat dropped at his Pokemon's actions. Comis, meanwhile, continued to glare at the evolved Pokemon, and he began to bend his tail almost like a spring.

"This battle will be between Comis and Gogoat! Begin!"

"Comis, start with Acrobatics!"

Using his tail as a spring, Comis shot forwards and zipped towards Gogoat and reared both of his arms back, preparing to unleash a wicked barrage of strikes on Gogoat.

"Gogoat, use Bulk Up and take it head-on!"

Refusing to back down, Gogoat stomped and puffed his chest out as a ring of blue energy began to spin around his body. Then, the ring disappeared and Gogoat looked to be stronger, but that didn't stop Comis from attacking. The winged Pokemon suddenly unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, dealing massive damage to the grass type, thought he didn't show it.

"Now hit 'em with X-Scissor!" Gray shouted.

"Send Comis flying back with Seed Bomb!" Tristan retorted.

Comis ended his barrage of punches and kicks while his claws began to glow light blue, and he took to the sky. Gogoat, meanwhile, fired large, green balls of energy towards Comis, but the winged Pokemon managed to evade each of the attacks, which exploded after crashing into the ground. Then, Comis slammed his claws against Gogoat's head, pushing the quadrupedal Pokemon back.

"Keep it up, Comis! Use Feint Attack!" the brunette shouted to her starter, who snickered and disappeared.

Once he reappeared, Comis slammed his black claws over Gogoat's head, resulting in Gogoat smacking his chin against the ground. Somehow, he rose back to his feet and still seemed to be perfectly fine, calming Tristan's nerves.

"Fire a Razor Leaf attack!"

"Dodge it with Quick Attack!"

Comis used his tail as a launchpad and zipped through the air while a streak of white light trailed his body. Gogoat then stomped on the ground and fired dozens upon dozens of leaves at Comis, and they cut his entire body, making him crash into the ground a few feet in front of Gogoat.

"Nice work, Gogoat! Use Seed Bomb again!" Tristan shouted to his Pokemon, who grinned and stomped on the ground.

An entire wave of leaves swirled around Gogoat's body, and he threw his head forwards, causing the leaves to close in on Comis, who was still laying on the ground in pain. Much to Tristan's dismay, Comis used his tail to push himself out of the way of the attack, leading to everyone gasping in shock while Gray grinned.

"Finish this up with Sky Uppercut!" the brunette commanded.

Comis smirked as his left claw began to glow red. Then, he landed right in front of Gogoat and swung his fist upwards, punching the grass type in the chin. Surprisingly, Gogoat was lifted off the ground, and he landed on his back with a loud thud, prompting Cole to end the battle.

"Gogoat is unable to battle! Tristan, choose your next Pokemon!"

"Awesome job, Gogoat," Tristan said to his fainted Pokemon before withdrawing him into his Pokeball. Slowly, he turned to his Pokemon and pointed at one before yelling. "Diggersby, I'm counting on you!"

A large, bipedal rabbit ran forward and stood in front of Tristan, squaring off with Comis, who was panting slightly due to how much energy he expended attacking Gogoat.

"This battle will be between Comis and Diggersby! Begin!"

"Use Feint Attack to start, Comis!"

Comis disappeared in the blink of an eye, but Tristan was ready to counter, knowing exactly where Comis was going to pop up.

"Turn around and use Double Kick, Diggersby!"

Doing as he was told, Diggersby spun so he was facing Tristan, and then his feet began to glow white. Then, as soon as Comis appeared, Diggersby kicked him powerfully. After bouncing on the ground, Comis hopped back up and flew towards Diggersby, determined to strike the normal type.

"Retaliate with Sky Uppercut!" Gray shouted while throwing both of her arms out to her sides.

Comis' claw began to surge with red energy, and he uppercut Diggersby, launching the rabbit into the air. Surprisingly, he used his ears to land, and the fat Pokemon bounced back onto his feet, wowing Gray's Pokemon and friends.

"Fight through the pain and use Return!" Tristan instructed after seeing his Pokemon wince in pain.

Diggersby nodded at his trainer's words before being shrouded in a veil of white light, blinding Comis in the process. Seeing this, Diggersby lunged forwards and slammed into Comis, sending the scorpion flying before he crashed into a tree behind Tristan. Gray looked on in concern before seeing Comis rise to his feet, though she couldn't help but notice how injured he looked, with bruises and cuts covering his body.

"Comis, show off your Night Slash attack!" she shouted, knowing Comis was willing to give the battle everything he had.

Without a word, Comis' claws began to turn black, and he reared his arms back before throwing them forwards. Two vertical crescents of black energy cut through the air and closed in on Diggersby, but the normal and ground type patiently waited for his trainer to issue a counterattack, which was exactly what Tristan did.

"Diggersby, destroy it with Mud Shot!"

The large bunny's ears moved and a ball of mud formed in-between them. He then threw the attack at both of the crescents Comis had created, and the ball of mud broke apart into several bullets. Each one crashed struck the crescents, and the two attacks exploded, prompting both Gray and Tristan to call out to their Pokemon.

"X-Scissor!"

"Return!"

All of a sudden, the combatants charged at one another. Comis crossed his arms over his chest as his claws began to glow light blue, and Diggersby was encapsulated in a powerful coat of white light. Much to her dismay, Gray watched as Comis was crushed by Diggersby, who effortlessly launched his opponent into a different stratosphere. Once he hit the ground, Comis' eyes were closed, and Cole raised his arms in the air.

"Comis is unable to battle! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!"

"You were great, Comis. Thank you for your effort," Gray whispered before zapping the fainted creature into his Pokeball. Slowly, she turned over to her other Pokemon, and she pointed at one in particular. "Pertinax, you're up!"

The bug smiled and opened his wings, flying over to the battlefield before landing next to Gray and walking forwards. Then, he put spread his feet so they were shoulder length apart, and he locked eyes with Diggersby, both bowing at the same time.

"This battle will be between Pertinax and Diggersby! Begin!"

"Pertinax, charge and use Double Hit!" Gray commanded.

The Pinsir's wings shot out of his back and he zipped towards Diggersby while his pincers began to glow purple. Once he landed on the ground, Pertinax prepared to strike Diggersby by rearing back, but that provided Tristan with enough time to counter the attack.

"Diggersby, block it with Double Kick!"

The normal and ground type shot forwards while his feet were glowing white, and he kicked at Pertinax's pincers. The two Pokemon continued to exchange blows, refusing to back down to the other, and Gray's eyes lit up as soon as she saw the perfect opportunity to steal the momentum that seemed to be going back and forth throughout the duration of the battle.

"Grab Diggersby's leg and use Vital Throw!"

Pertinax suddenly stopped attacking his opponent and instead grabbed the rabbit's leg, making Tristan, Diggersby, Monica, Dash, and Tristan's Pokemon gasp while Gray's friends and Pokemon cheered. With quick movements, Pertinax slammed Diggersby against the ground powerfully, making the battlefield crack slightly. However, Diggersby got back up and looked at Tristan before turning back to Pertinax and Gray.

"Check Pertinax with Quick Attack, Diggersby!"

Diggersby bolted across the battlefield as a streak of white light trailed his body, and he lowered his shoulder before slamming into Pertinax, sending the bug rolling along the battlefield before he placed his hands on the ground and pushed himself back up.

"Hit him back with a Brick Break barrage!"

Pertinax obeyed his trainer's command and charged across the battlefield. His hands suddenly turned white and Pertinax reared both of his arms back in an attempt to crush Diggersby, but the rabbit's trainer was quick to react, refusing to let Diggersby be hit by the super effective attack.

"Dodge it and use Mud Shot!" Tristan demanded tactically, trying to keep Pertinax at a distance.

Surprisingly, Diggersby began to evade each of the swings from Pertinax, and he jumped back while a ball of mud formed between his ears. Then, he threw it at Pertinax and the ball broke into several bullets of mud. Pertinax continued to use Brick Break and punched through each of the mud bullets, shocking everyone before he hit Diggersby in the face.

"Keep it going, Pertinax! Use Seismic Toss!" the seventeen year old shouted to her Pokemon confidently.

Pertinax picked Diggersby up off the ground and sprung into the air, keeping a tight grip on the rabbit. Then, the two fell towards the ground and Pertinax hurled Diggersby as hard as he could. As soon as he hit the ground, Diggersby cried loudly before falling on his face limply, prompting Cole to walk forwards while raising both of his arms.

"Diggersby is unable to battle! Tristan, choose your next Pokemon!"

"Awesome job, Diggersby. You were great out there," Tristan complimented as he clipped the downed Pokemon's Pokeball onto his belt. "Chansey, are you up for this?" the sixteen year old asked his bulky Pokemon, who nodded and waltzed onto the battlefield.

"Pertinax, return," Gray said to the victorious Pokemon, who walked back to the side of the battlefield with the rest of his teammates. Both Acer and Agrestis cheered for Pertinax while Ferus and Fortis remained silent. Then, Gray looked over at the group of Pokemon and grinned before calling out to one. "Let's do this, Acer!"

The Breloom walked forwards and began to punch the air ferociously while Chansey smiled at her opponent and bowed, prompting Acer to do the same. Cole, meanwhile, raised both of his arms and looked at both sides.

"This battle will be between Acer and Chansey! Begin!"

"Acer, let's use Mach Punch!" Gray commanded.

In the blink of an eye, Acer disappeared, making Tristan, Chansey, the rest of his Pokemon, Monica, and Dash, gasp. Then, Acer reappeared in front of Chansey while her right fist was glowing light blue, and she punched the normal type in the stomach as hard as she could. The defensive Pokemon skidded back to Tristan with a pained look on her face, but she looked ready to retaliate.

"Damn! Acer's fast!" Monica shouted in shock, looking over at Dash who nodded in agreement.

"Chansey, use Wish!" Tristan shouted to his injured Pokemon.

A smile crept across Chansey's face and she put her hands together before closing her eyes. Then, she threw her arms towards the sky and a ball of light shot into the air. Nothing else happened after, prompting Gray and Acer to resume their assault.

"Keep it up with Headbutt, Acer!"

"Stop her by using Protect!"

After Acer took one step, she disappeared, but Chansey threw her arms forwards and was surrounded by a green bubble of energy, which acted as a shield. Acer then slammed her head into the shield, and she stumbled back while holding her head in pain. Gray, however, wasn't ready to relent, and she threw her right arm out to her side.

"Use Bullet Seed!"

Acer shook her head in an attempt to recover from her disoriented state, and she reared her neck back before shooting a flurry of solar bullets at Chansey, who grunted in pain as she was pelted by the attack. Fighting through the pain, Chansey managed to get away from the attack and she glanced back at Tristan, waiting for him to issue another attack.

"Grab Acer and use Seismic Toss!" he commanded.

Chansey nodded and attempted to charge at Acer and grab her, but Gray was too quick to allow that to happen.

"Use Mach Punch one more time, Acer!"

Acer bolted across the battlefield while her fist was glowing light blue, and she ducked underneath Chansey's attempted grab. Then, she shot up and uppercut Chansey, launching the normal type off the ground before she slammed against the battlefield on her back. Shocked by the result, Tristan stared at his downed Pokemon before looking up at Acer, not knowing how to battle the speedy grass type.

"Chansey is unable to battle! Tristan, choose your next Pokemon!"

"You deserve a long rest, Chansey," Tristan said to the downed creature, zapping her back into her Pokeball. Slowly, he turned to his two remaining Pokemon, Greninja and Manectric, and cursed under his breath, as neither had an advantage over Acer. However, he knew he had to choose one, and he pointed at Manectric.

"I'm counting on you, Manectric!" he exclaimed, prompting the electric type to run forwards and lower himself to the ground while Acer began to punch at the air again.

"This is gonna be good," Dash said aloud, grabbing Nikki's attention as she turned to face the boy.

"Why's that?"

"Manectric's really strong. Just watch."

"This battle will be between Acer and Manectric! Begin!"

"Manectric, use Discharge!"

Without hesitation, Manectric shot into the air and was engulfed in a bright wave of yellow light. Then, he roared and several bolts of electricity were fired at Acer, whose eyes went wide in awe before hearing Gray shout to her, snapping the grass type out of her trance.

"Dodge it and use Bullet Seed, Acer!"

Acer acrobatically hopped back, did a cartwheel, and then jumped into the air just like Manectric had. She quickly reared her head back and unleashed a flurry of solar bullets at her powerful opponent, but Tristan was quick to react to the incoming attack, which caught Gray and Acer off guard.

"Use Quick Attack to dodge and follow it up with Bite!"

Once again, Manectric roared, and a burst of speed allowed him to sprint in a zigzagging pattern. Because of this, none of the solar bullets landed, and Acer was defenseless as she fell towards the ground, providing Manectric with the perfect opening to attack. With the help of his powerful legs, the electric type lunged forwards and bit Acer's right hand, making her cry in pain.

"Mach Punch!" Gray screamed, attempting to seize the opportunity to deal a fair bit of damage.

Acer, on the same page as her trainer, reared her left fist back while it was glowing light blue, and she punched Manectric in the face, causing him to skid along the battlefield. However, he didn't appear to be injured in the slightest, which caught the attention of both Fortis and Ferus.

"Jump back and fire away with Discharge!"

Manectric smirked before springing into the air, and he was enveloped in a wave of electricity. After a loud grunt, several bolts of electricity were fired at Acer, who bent her knees and prepared to counter the wicked attack.

"Block it with Bullet Seed!"

Acer attempted to shoot another Bullet Seed attack at the incoming Discharge, but she was too slow, and zapped as a result. Gray watched as her Pokemon fell to her knees, panting in exhaustion due to her previous battle with Chansey. With a confident look on his face, Tristan threw his left arm forwards as soon as Manectric landed on the ground.

"Manectric, use Quick Attack!"

Before Gray could blink, Manectric sprinted across the battlefield and slammed into Acer headfirst as a ray of white light trailed his body. Due to the speed at which Manectric was traveling, Acer was launched past Gray and landed a few feet away from the Pokemon Center with her eyes closed.

"Acer is unable to battle! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!" Cole shouted as Gray grabbed Acer's Pokeball with a smile.

"Damn. You weren't kidding about Manectric," Nikki said to Dash, who grinned and nodded. "But you still haven't seen Gray's strongest Pokemon," the blonde continued, piquing Dash and Monica's interest.

"Manectric, take a break. I'll need you for later," Tristan told the powerful, four legged Pokemon, who nodded in response before sitting down next to his trainer. "Greninja, it's your turn!"

The shiny frog made his way onto the battlefield and stood confidently in front of Tristan, eager to see who he'd be battling against. Pertinax began stretching in preparation for the battle he had yet to be called in to, but he and Ferus both had a feeling he'd go back in. Fortis, meanwhile, continued to sit by himself, and he remained silent, eyeing both Manectric and Greninja. The two Pokemon were strong, just like Tristan's others, but they had a different swagger. Sure, Gogoat was a confident guy with swagger, but Greninja and Manectric were... different.

"You were amazing, Acer. Thanks for your hard work," Gray whispered to Acer as she was zapped inside her capsule. "Pertinax, are you up to battle again?" the seventeen year old quizzed, not wanting to send Ferus up against a water type.

"Definitely," the bug replied as he walked forwards and squared off with Greninja.

"This battle will be between Pertinax and Greninja! Begin!"

"Greninja, get in close and use Lick!" Tristan shouted to his starter, who bolted forwards at a speed similar to Manectric's, which caught Gray off guard.

The water and dark type continued to pump his legs as quickly as he could, and he whipped his neck around so his tongue cut through the air. Tristan didn't think about how open Greninja was to being hurt when using his tongue, but Gray did, making the girl smirk before throwing her left hand out to her side.

"Grab a hold of his tongue, and then slam him against the ground, Pertinax!"

Pertinax's pincers began to glow dark green and he bent down and snapped them on Greninja's tongue. The water type gasped in shock along with Tristan, Manectric, Dash, and Monica, while Pertinax kept his composure and began to swing Greninja around like a rag doll before smashing him against the ground.

"Recover and use Water Pulse!" Tristan yelled.

Gray and Pertinax were shocked to see Greninja suddenly hop off the ground and shoot into the air like Manectric had, and a ball of water formed in his right hand. Then, Greninja spun around before hurling the powerful attack at Pertinax, but Gray's quick thinking prevented it from hurting Pertinax.

"Pertinax, destroy it with Brick Break!" she shouted to the bug type, who nodded.

Suddenly, Pertinax's hands bean to glow white, and he wound back before tomahawking the ball of water, instantly slicing it in half.

"Now use Shadow Sneak!"

Somehow, Greninja appeared right in front of Pertinax and punched him square in the face, knocking Pertinax onto his back. The bug type slowly got back on his feet and grimaced in pain, which Gray, Ferus, and Fortis noticed. Despite this, Pertinax refused to back down, and he looked eager to strike Greninja.

"Retaliate with X-Scissor, Pertinax!"

The fatigued Pokemon smirked as his arms suddenly began to glow light blue, and he sprinted towards the Kalosian starter. Then, he crossed his arms over his chest and began to fly with the help of his wings, but Tristan and Greninja weren't fazed by the super effective attack.

"Smack Down!"

Gray watched in horror as Greninja shot a huge boulder at Pertinax and crushed the bug type, knocking him unconscious instantly. Staring in shock, Gray slowly took out the bug's Pokeball but was unable to withdraw him.

"Pertinax is unable to battle! Gray, choose your last Pokemon!"

"You were great, Pertinax. Thank you," the brunette whispered, finally zapping Pertinax into his Pokeball. Slowly, the girl took a deep breath and walked over to the sideline, releasing the four Pokemon that had battled. She then sprayed them with Full Restores, and walked back to her trainer box while Ferus waited to be called to battle.

"Ferus, it's all up to you!" Gray shouted, making Ferus smirk as he waltzed onto the battlefield, exuding confidence with each step. Once he stood in front of Gray, Ferus locked eyes with Greninja and began to growl lowly while the shiny starter remained calm, showing no emotion.

"This battle will be between Ferus and Greninja! Begin!"

"Ferus, start this off with Feint Attack!" Gray commanded confidently, knowing full well her final Pokemon was going to fight until his body wouldn't allow him to.

Without hesitation, Ferus sprinted forwards and disappeared after being shrouded in darkness. Then, once he reappeared, Ferus was behind Greninja, who turned around quickly and prepared to attack.

"Dodge it and use Smack Down!" Tristan countered.

Greninja jumped back, barely avoiding Ferus. Then, he reared his head back and shot a boulder at the four legged fire type, crushing the dog. Upon impact, Ferus was sent rolling past Tristan, but he got back on his feet and sprinted towards Greninja, catching the shiny Pokemon and his trainer off guard, while Gray, Nikki, Cole, and their Pokemon smirked at the sight.

"Now use Fire Fang!"

Ferus lunged forwards while fire began to pour out of his mouth, and he chomped down on Greninja's arm, making the bipedal frog cry out in pain while attempting to shake his opponent loose. Tristan cursed under his breath at the situation and began to scratch his chin, keeping his cool while Greninja fought through the pain and eventually knocked Ferus off.

"Shadow Sneak!"

Greninja quickly punched his palm against the ground, and he disappeared while a shadow crept along the battlefield and closed in on Ferus, who was confused by the attack. Gray, however, knew exactly what to do, as she had previous experience combatting Shadow Sneak.

"Shoot a scorching hot Flamethrower at the ground, Ferus!"

Ferus cocked his head in confusion for a split second before rearing back and unleashing the strongest Flamethrower he could. The entire battlefield was engulfed in flames, and Greninja shot out of the shadow, holding his back in pain while hopping around, drawing looks of concern from Tristan and Manectric.

"Greninja, are you okay?" the teen quizzed, receiving a nod from Greninja before hearing Gray's voice cut through the air.

"Now use Feint Attack!"

Ferus reappeared right in front of Greninja and slammed into Greninja's chest, sending him flying back past Tristan, who whipped his head around and stared at his starter fearfully before seeing Greninja rise back to his feet.

"Hang in there, Greninja! Use Water Pulse!" he shouted, hoping to deal a significant amount of damage to Ferus.

Greninja nodded at his trainer's words and shot into the air while a colossal sphere of water formed in-between his hands.

"Finish this off with Flamethrower!" Gray yelled to Ferus, who nodded.

Then, he pointed his head towards the sky and fire began to build up in his throat. Greninja then spun around and hurled the powerful water type attack at Ferus, who continued charging his attack. Suddenly, his neck snapped down slightly and unleashed a powerful burst of fire, which crashed through the Water Pulse attack and struck Greninja, making the water starter fall to the ground lifelessly, hitting the ground without bracing for impact.

"Greninja is unable to battle! Tristan, choose your last Pokemon!" Cole shouted, seeing the powerful Pokemon's eyes were closed.

"Wooh! Way to go, Ferus!" Agrestis cheered, clapping for the dog as he walked back to Gray's side and smiled at the girl, who smiled right back.

"Keep it up! We know you can do this!" Placidus chanted.

"Thanks for such an awesome job, Greninja. I promise we'll win," the teen vowed as he zapped the shiny Pokemon into his Pokeball. "Manectric, it's time to show off our true strength!" Tristan shouted to the electric type, who nodded in response before looking up at the sky and roaring. "Mega Evolve!"

Manectric continued roaring, and he was suddenly enveloped in a blinding light of rainbow energy. Once the light faded, Manectric looked completely different, with his spiky yellow hair shooting up several inches and riding along his back. Spikes also grew out of his legs, and two yellow horns shot out of his ridiculous amount of hair.

Nikki, Cole, their Pokemon, and Gray's spectating Pokemon stared at Manectric in awe before turning to Gray and Ferus, who didn't seem to be intimidated in the slightest.

"We're not backing down! Right, Ferus?" Gray asked the fire type, who grunted before lowering himself to the ground while closing his eyes. "Mega Evolve!" she screamed while placing her hand over her Mega Bracelet.

Ferus kept quiet while Gray closed her eyes, and the two began thinking of everything they had gone through, just like Owen and Charizard had instructed. Suddenly, the dark type was engulfed in the same colored light as Manectric, and his body began to change drastically. Once the light faded, Ferus was about a foot taller, and two gray horns vertically stuck out of his head. A chestplate of bones surrounded the front of his neck and front shoulders.

"Ferus can actually Mega Evolve!?" Skitty shrieked, her eyes turning into hearts. "That is so hot!"

"Why can't I Mega Evolve!?" Comis screamed as he looked up at the sky, tears flowing down his face dramatically while his teammates sweat dropped.

Monica and Dash stared at Gray and Ferus in shock, and so did the other spectators, excluding Fortis, who smiled at the sight before listening in on the conversations amongst the teens.

"Wow, things just got a lot more interesting," Dash muttered, scratching his head while laughing sheepishly.

"No duh," Monica spat, shooting Dash a look before shaking her her head. "Their two strongest Pokemon, who can both Mega Evolve, are going up against each other in a winner-take-all battle."

Cole slowly took a breath and regained his composure, which had been shattered once both sides had Mega Evolved. Then, he raised both of his arms in the air and glanced at both sides before speaking.

"This battle will be between Ferus and Manectric! Begin!"

"Let's test out your new strength, Ferus! Flamethrower!" Gray yelled to her final Pokemon.

Ferus took one step forward and reared his head back, inhaling as he did so. Everyone stared in shock as Ferus' chest began to glow bright red due to the building amount of fire. Then, his neck whipped forwards and he opened his mouth, shooting a white stream of fire at Manectric, who grinned and lowered himself to the ground in preparation of dodging.

"Manectric, jump to dodge it and then unleash a Discharge attack!"

The electric type skied into the air while being engulfed in a neon blue coat of energy, and he roared so loud it sounded like thunder. Then, he fired an enormous bolt of neon blue electricity at Ferus, who didn't even attempt to move away from the attack. Everyone, including Gray, looked on in confusion as Ferus took on the brunt of the attack, but it didn't look like the attack dealt any damage.

"Don't back down, Ferus! Use Fire Fang!" Gray commanded, throwing her right hand straight forwards.

Ferus sprinted across the battlefield at a speed even faster than Acer, and his mouth was engulfed in flames. He then chomped down on Manectric's back, and an explosion occurred due to a sudden burst of fire flying out of Ferus' mouth. Manectric was pushed back by the wicked attack, and he winced slightly at the same time as Ferus, making both Pokemon grin while their trainers continued to focus on the battle.

"Answer right back with Thunder Fang, Manectric!"

Manectric bolted forwards as neon blue electricity sparked around his mouth. He then bit Ferus on the back, near the same spot he had been bitten, and an explosion followed, sending Ferus flying through the air. Somehow, Ferus landed on his feet gracefully and released a stream of smoke from his nostrils as he swung his tail around before hearing Gray's voice.

"Ferus, use Feint Attack, but don't disappear!"

The fire type nodded at his trainer's words and stomped on the ground, causing a black aura to surround his body. He then darted straight towards Manectric, almost like a bull, but Tristan and his Pokemon were ready to counter.

"Intercept with Quick Attack!"

Manectric shot forwards with a sudden burst of speed, and a white ray of light trailed his body. A slight grin crept across Gray's face and she snapped her fingers, making Ferus' ears perk up while grabbing everyone else's attention.

"Now stop and use Flamethrower!" the seventeen year old screamed.

Ferus slammed his feet against the ground, stopping dead in his tracks while rearing his head back. Then, it snapped down and unleashed a wave of white fire at his speeding opponent, whose eyes went wide. Much to Gray's dismay, Manectric hopped to his right and evaded the blistering attack before slamming into Ferus' side, launching him into the corner of the battlefield while also making him cry out in pain.

"Keep it up! Use Discharge again!"

Refusing to let up on his assault, Manectric jumped forwards while being enveloped in neon blue light, and he roared, sending a wicked bolt of electricity at Ferus. The dog was unable to get back on his feet and dodge, leading to him being crushed by the devastating attack. Gray and her other Pokemon gasped at the sight as Ferus hollered violently while he twitched, still being zapped by Discharge. Once the attack ceased, everyone stared at Ferus and his limp body, prompting Gray to call out to her Pokemon.

"Ferus, please hang in there!" she begged as Ferus slowly rose to his feet, exhausted from the battle. "Now use Feint Attack!"

In the blink of an eye, Ferus appeared right in front of Manectric and slammed his head into the yellow haired Pokemon's side, launching him past the group of spectators on the sideline.

"Manectric!" Tristan cried out as his final Pokemon stumbled back onto the battlefield before collapsing, clearly in pain from the wicked attack he had just taken on. Despite this, he stood back up and locked eyes with Ferus, causing both Pokemon to smirk before nodding at one another respectfully.

"What's going on? Why aren't they attacking?" Eevee asked Nikki, who shrugged along with Cole, Dash, and Monica.

"It's common for two Pokemon of equal strength to know when they're at the end of a battle," Fortis started, grabbing everyone's attention as he sat on the bleachers by himself. "And usually, when they're able to do that, they know how powerful the other is, and they kind of take a break from battling to take everything in, give themselves enough time to catch their breath, and muster up all of their remaining strength," the dragon type explained, recounting his experience when battling against Garchomp.

"So, does that mean Ferus is, like... in a different league than the rest of us?" Pertinax quizzed, making Fortis sweat drop nervously. "Damn. That makes me want to work even harder so I can catch up with him!" the bug exclaimed.

"Same here!" Acer shouted excitedly.

Back on the battlefield, Ferus and Manectric exchanged a quick glance, nodding subtly before turning back to their trainers as a means of telling them to resume the battle.

"This is it! Manectric, use an all out Discharge!"

"Use a max power Flamethrower, Ferus!"

Both Pokemon smirked at one another before charging their attacks, with Ferus rearing his neck back while Manectric began to grunt as neon blue electricity danced round his body. Ferus then opened his jaw and shot the most powerful wave of fire he could, and Manectric stomped on the ground and roared, firing a zigzagging bolt of electricity. The attacks collided in the middle of the battlefield and pushed back and forth before taking the form of a ball and exploding, sending Ferus and Manectric flying through the air before smacking against the ground in front of their trainers.

Cole, Monica, Nikki, and Dash stared at both sides in silence, waiting for one of the two Pokemon to get up, and they gasped slightly when Manectric managed to stand, albeit barely. Ferus, meanwhile, had a pained look on his face and desperately tried to get back on his feet, but his shaking legs made it difficult.

"Come on, Ferus! Get up! I know you can do it!" Skitty hollered, staring at the struggling Pokemon.

Ferus' eyes suddenly shot open and he rose, roaring powerfully. Tristan and Manectric stared at the resilient Pokemon in awe, and Ferus unleashed a Flamethrower into the air, the white flames falling to the ground like snowflakes. Smiling, Ferus nodded at Manectric, and his legs suddenly gave out, making Gray run over to him worriedly.

"Ferus is unable to battle! Tristan is the winner!" Cole announced while pointing at Tristan and Manectric, who cheered and hugged.

"Ferus, are you okay?" Gray asked the injured Pokemon, who suddenly reverted back to his normal form.

"Yeah," the dark type muttered weakly before being sprayed with a Full Restore, which gave Ferus all of the energy he had lost. "I... I can't believe I lost," he continued, turning away from his teammates and Fortis, who had just walked over, and Gray, who looked on in concern.

"Hey, don't get down about it," Pertinax said to Ferus with a smile.

"Yeah, you gave that everything you had! There's no reason to be so sad," Acer added, making Ferus turn around.

"Don't blame yourself, either. If I had actually taken down Greninja, then you totally would've beaten Manectric!" Placidus hypothesized. He was surprised, however, when Ferus shook his head, grabbing Fortis' attention.

"No. Manectric's stronger than me, and nothing would've change the outcome of our battle," Ferus announced, making Fortis grin as he walked over to Gray and nudged her with his elbow, making the girl watch intently. "I'm going to have to train even harder if I want to beat him."

Gray smiled at the interaction between her Pokemon and walked over to Tristan once they were done conversing. The brunette continued to smile and she extended her hand to Tristan, who smiled back and shook it.

"You're a really strong trainer, Tristan. All of your Pokemon are really powerful!" Gray exclaimed as her seven Pokemon stood behind her, nodding at Tristan's five Pokemon, who all smiled and bowed in response.

"Even you, Gogoat," Comis commented with a sly grin, making the grass type laugh before shaking Comis' hand.

"So are you and your Pokemon, Gray. Hopefully we can battle again some day, whether it be in a new region or just for fun," Tristan said to Gray, who nodded and bowed to the victor and his powerful team.

"I guess this is where we go our separate ways," Cole said, breaking the ice, which made everyone nod. "It was nice meeting you all."

"Yeah! Good luck at the Kalos League, Monica and Dash!" Nikki exclaimed with a smile.

"Thanks, Nikki. I don't think I'll need much luck to beat shorty, here, though," Dash joked while pointing at Monica, who shot the most horrifying stink eye at him, shutting the taller boy up.

"Don't worry, he'll need it," the girl said to Nikki, who laughed along with Eevee, Cole, and Slakoth.

"Best of luck to you, Tristan. I'll be watching when the Kalos League starts," Gray told the powerful trainer.

"Likewise. I'm expecting to see you do really well in the Silver Conference," Tristan replied with a kind smile.

With that, the two groups went their separate ways. Both Tristan and Gray were going to continue their badge hunts with the possibility of another meeting being uncertain. Even so, they were still excited about the potential of meeting once again, if fate allowed it.

**X – X – X – X**

**That's a wrap! Man, can you spell hype? Oh wait, I just spelled it for you. :I**

**Anyway, I enjoyed this crossover chapter. Once again, I only wrote the beginning part. Everything after the "Where's Chansey?" scene was El Torro's doing. (He did a great job, by the way, so I thank him for that).**

**Also, yes, I do know that Manectric was suddenly able to mega evolve. For the sake of an epic mega showdown, it had to happen. He'll still struggle with ME for a bit; don't worry.**

**Also, I'm sorry if some of you have no idea who Gray and the rest of the people are. If you want to know, you'll have to read El Torro's story. :3**

**Well, I hope you all enjoyed this! Tristan narrowly bested Gray in a battle, and we also learned a bit about Monica. With that being said, the next chapter will take a break from the action and feature our favorite trio's journey through Lumiose. I'm looking forward to it, and I hope you all are as well!**

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan's Team:

Chansey – Level 30 – Wish, Seismic Toss, Protect, Healing Wish

Gogoat – Level 36 – Seed Bomb, Bulk Up, Razor Leaf, Bulldoze

Diggersby – Level 37 – Dig, Quick Attack, Return, Double Kick

Greninja – Level 37 – Shadow Sneak, Lick, Smack Down, Water Pulse

Manectric – Level 37 – Quick Attack, Bit, Thunder Fang, Discharge


	25. Chapter 25 - Loving Lumiose

**Alrighty then! We're back in action! So, just to catch you all up, last chapter Monica, Tristan, and Dash arrived in Lumiose City. While trying to locate Tristan's Chansey, the trio ran into a trainer by the name of Gray. Tristan and Gray ended up battling, with Tristan's Mega Manectric narrowly besting Gray's Mega Houndoom for the win. So, what does this chapter have in store for you all? Read on! (Reviews though :3).**

** El Torro – I'm glad you liked the intro! Monica is definitely glad to be in her home city, and you'll see more of that this chapter. You'll see why she was so reluctant to head down a certain path, too (eventually). Thanks for the feedback!**

**Well, let's get to it!**

**Chapter 25 – Loving Lumiose**

After Tristan's battle with Gray, Monica, Tristan and Dash retreated to the Pokémon Center, aiming to escape the sun's rays. The trio opted to take up a booth in the corner and rest for the time being.

"You know what? Gray was really strong!" Monica opined as she glanced at Dash and Tristan. The two guys nodded.

"I wasn't even battling and I could tell. Her Houndoom was especially strong… Mega evolution is a ridiculous level of power, y'know?" Tristan grinned at Dash's comment.

"Exactly, which is why I really want to master it. If Manectric and I can get mega evolution down pat, there's no way we'll lose!" he claimed confidently. Monica punched him lightly in the arm.

"But you forget that you'll have Dash and I to contend with! You won't be the only one with mega evolution – I can almost guarantee that. So, with that being said, who's ready to explore the city?" the blond inquired. Dash grunted and stood up to stretch his legs.

"I guess now's better than ever. I just hope it's not hot." Monica waved the comment off.

"We'll be fine, I promise. Now, let's get going!"

**X – X – X – X**

"'We'll be fine, I promise.' What was that about not being hot at all, Monica?" The blond rolled her eyes.

"Shut it, Tristan. I didn't know, okay? Besides, the first stop is close by, anyway. See? It's right over there!" The blond grinned and walked briskly to a small stand on the side of the street. Dash raised an eyebrow out of curiosity.

"What's this?" he wondered. Monica turned around with a twinkle in her eyes.

"It's the Galette Stand, dummy! These guys make really good galettes, which are kinda like pancakes. I went here all the time when I was a little girl!" Tristan chuckled as the blond continued to rave about the food stand and how she wanted to buy a galette. The girl continued to speak as a woman and her daughter walked by.

The younger girl was dressed from head to toe in pink, sporting long, blond hair. She was walking alongside her mother while holding her hand. Noticing the stand, the girl began to point.

"Momma, can I have one?" she asked sweetly. The woman next to her shook her head, causing the child to pout and complain. Monica observed the scene and bit her lip. She tapped Tristan and Dash on their shoulders.

"On second thought, let's get going." Tristan and Dash exchanged glances.

"Why? You were going crazy over this place about ten seconds ago!" Dash reasoned. Monica shook her head vehemently.

"I'd rather not bother the man," she responded as she tucked her hair behind her ear, "Besides, we've got other places to check out. Let's get going." Tristan and Dash didn't have the chance to respond, as Monica was already walking away from them. The two teens sighed.

"Girls…" Dash muttered as he shook his head. Tristan exhaled and ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, she's confusing me, too. Let's follow her though; we don't want to lose her." Dash nodded, and the two friends chased after Monica.

**X – X – X – X**

After around an hour of walking and guiding Dash and Tristan through Lumiose, Monica had almost run out of things to show off. However, the blond had a few things in mind, and this place was one of them.

"Here we are!" she exclaimed as she motioned to a building behind her, "This is the Battle Institute, a building where you can battle multiple people in order to win points. You can use the points to buy items, I think."

"Sounds like the right place for me, then!" Dash vocalized, "I'd love to train in there sometime." Tristan nodded in agreement. Monica grinned.

"Yeah, it's a really cool place. It's also where I saw my first Pokémon battle, and where I first found my love for battling. Good times…" The blond trailed off and glanced down the street.

"Well, let's get going! I've got one last place to show you two."

**X – X – X – X**

"Hmm, where is it? Oh, there it is! Vernal Avenue is just this way, guys." Monica informed her two "tourists", waving them on.

The trio continued to walk down the busy streets of Lumiose, approaching Vernal Avenue by the second. The three friends then arrived and turned down the avenue, and Monica's face lit up.

"Here's our last stop. You might find this silly, but I had to save this place for last. It's called Friseur Furfrou, and it's a shop that grooms, well, Furfrou. The stylists here are really good at what they do, and I knew most of them growing up, too." As the blond said that, the trio gazed through the shop's window with curiosity.

The three friends looked on as four stylists bustled about, clipping fur off of one Furfrou and vigorously washing the fur of another. Yet another Furfrou was having its fur shaped into hearts, and having the spots dyed a bright pink color.

"Huh. It looks like that takes a lot of work…" Dash mused. Monica nodded.

"Oh yeah. I actually got to try and groom a Furfrou once, and it was difficult to say the least." The blond continued to rant about her various other adventures in the Furfrou grooming industry, and Tristan couldn't help but smile.

_She truly does love this place, doesn't she?_

Tristan was jerked from his thoughts when Monica suddenly shut herself up. Dash and Tristan raised an eyebrow at the sudden burst of silence. Strangely, Monica simply stared through the window with a look of panic in her eyes. The girl's wide eyes tracked the movement of someone in the window. Without warning, Monica shook her head, huffed, and shoved Tristan out of the way before breaking into a sprint. The blond ran down the street and melted into the large crowd of people that Lumiose was known for.

"Hey, Monica!" Dash shouted. The blond ignored him and kept running. An exasperated Dash glanced at Tristan, and his eyes said it all. What the heck _was _that? Tristan met his gaze and shook his head.

"It's best not to ask questions yet. I don't know what's up, but we've got to track her down." Dash grunted in acknowledgement.

"As difficult as it'll be, we've got to try."

**X – X – X – X**

"Okay, Monica had to have gone down one of these roads. In fact, it's probably this way…" Dash concluded while pointing to the left. Tristan narrowed his eyes for a split second before shaking his head.

"Honestly, something tells me she went right," the Kalosian countered. Dash raised an eyebrow.

"What makes you say that? She said earlier that she hates that area of the city, remember?" Tristan smiled for just a brief moment.

"Exactly. Monica is trying her hardest to avoid anyone and everyone right about now, so she's going to go to the least populated area of the city. The street off to the right just so happens to be it." Dash considered the proposal in his head and shrugged.

"I guess that makes some sense. The sooner we find her, the better." Tristan said nothing as he walked forward, waving Dash on. The two friends broke into a jog and continued their hunt, hoping that their target would be in sight in the near future.

**X – X – X – X**

Jordan grinned and reared their head back, letting out a lengthy laugh. The leader of Deivis chuckled and chuckled behind their mask, wiping away a fake tear in the process.

"Oh man, I can't wait, I really can't! The operation at the end of the week will advance our plans to the next stage. Is everything ready, you two?" Jordan interrogated. The two people sitting across from the masked mastermind smirked with pride and nodded.

One of the figures, a girl with dark hair, mirrored her superior's smirk. Next to the female was a man who nodded wordlessly while combing his blond hair with his fingers.

"I'll take that as a yes. Trinity, Drew, don't you dare fail me. I'm sure the both of you are aware of the consequences for failure," Jordan admonished. The two admins exchanged glances and grinned.

"Trust me, we won't fail," Drew claimed boldly. Jordan chuckled.

"For your sake, I hope you won't. Now, you two are dismissed. Be ready!" The two admins bowed their heads respectfully and stood up, exiting Jordan's office in a matter of seconds. Now alone, the masked mastermind leaned back in their chair and propped both of their feet on their desk.

"That place won't even know what hit it. Oh, I can't wait!"

**X – X – X – X**

"I thought you said she was going to be down this way!" Dash muttered. Tristan sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"That's what I thought, too. We've checked all of the buildings here, that much I know. We _still_ haven't seen her; she could honestly be anywhere at this point…" The teen was interrupted when Dash nudged him with his elbow and cleared his throat.

"As stupid as this sounds, I think we actually forgot to look in the building right there," the African American claimed as he pointed to a wooden building, one much smaller than the others. The establishment easily looked its age, as the windows were shattered and the paint was extremely faded. The roof seemed ready to collapse in on itself. Tristan sighed.

"I swear, if she's actually in here…" The Kalosian trailed off and began to approach the dilapidated building with Dash in tow. The two guys entered shortly after, coughing at the sheer amount of dust that floated through the air.

"I highly doubt she's in this place." Tristan made his opinion known, but Dash waved him off.

"It doesn't hurt to try, ya know?"

**X – X – X – X**

_I'm so done right now… I need to be alone, _Monica decided mentally. The blond huffed and shoved Tristan out of the way, apologizing mentally. She soon melted into the crowd, trying her hardest to ignore the looks that she was receiving and the loud cries of annoyance as she shoved past the waves of pedestrians that walked at her.

The blond continued to move onwards, breaking into a run instead of her previous walking speed. Her feet pounded against the pavement as she frantically looked back and forth, attempting to locate some form of safe haven.

The blonde's escape from the hustle of Lumiose continued for what seemed to be an eternity, but Monica finally came to a screeching halt. The girl panted heavily; she wasn't used to running for an extended period of time.

"Surely nobody will find me here. The place has been abandoned for years…" Monica glanced up at the sign nailed above the doorway, which read 'Adoption Center'. The girl frowned. _It had to be THIS building, didn't it? Whatever, I don't care. As long as I'm not found, I'll be happy._

With a sigh, Monica stepped into the dilapidated establishment, running her hand along the walls. She continued onwards, passing what seemed to be a welcome desk and a few chairs. The girl shivered and rubbed her arms for warmth as she continued to explore the run-down building. The floorboards beneath her cried out in protest as she moved, adding an element of creepiness to the already dim, dusty area.

A few minutes passed before the blond walked through a doorway into a final room towards the back; it was an office. Monica sighed and collapsed in the chair behind the desk, burying her head in her hands. Without warning, her thoughts were flooded with memories and emotions. A single tear made its way down her face.

In the silence of the adoption center, two voices rang out, both as clear as day.

"I highly doubt she's in this place," said one. Monica's eyes widened as a second and third tear trickled down her visage.

_No, why are they here?!_

"I doesn't hurt to try, ya know?" A second voice responded.

_What do I do? I was hoping they wouldn't find me, _thought the blond, _I guess I just have to hope that they leave before they get back here._

Monica's mind, despite her protests, continued to bombard her with unwanted memories, each one like a knife that stabbed her in the heart. She continued sobbing as the sound of footsteps neared her. Suddenly, a gasp was heard.

"Monica!" It was Dash.

Monica screamed.

**X – X – X – X**

… **Say what?**

**Yes, the ending is a bit strange. I would probably freak out if someone randomly showed up and startled me, too.**

**So, is this chapter what you expected? I hope the answer is no. I hope that you all expected this to be a happy recollection of memories. However, that's obviously not the case. **

**What's up with Monica? What do you think? (The answer's not that difficult to come with, to be fair). I'd like to see what you all think about Monica's freak out.**

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed! (As always, tell me why you did or did not like it). Sorry for not updating sooner. School and what not wrecked me. :P But, I updated this nonetheless. I'm going to try and make up for lost time and post frequently soon. (No promises, though). Thanks for reading!**


	26. Chapter 26 - Adopting a New Attitude

**Ayyy! Hello, everyone, I hope you all are doing well.**

**So, it seems you all enjoyed last chapter, the one that involved Monica having a bit of a break down. What's up with that? Well, you guys answered that in your reviews. Time to respond!**

** El Torro – Ah, yes, the title was quite deceiving. It was supposed to be, in a way. As for your guess on what's wrong with Monica, you're pretty much there. Are her parents important? They might not even be in the story for all we know. XD (Jordan is a very interesting person, yes. Trust me, they will make their intentions clear soon enough). Thanks for the review!**

** Blaze Falcon – Yep, Monica has something seemingly serious going on. You'll find out what soon enough! Thanks for reviewing!**

** JosephDaPKMNTrainer – I'll say this: One of those guesses is pretty much correct. You'll have to find out! I appreciate the review (though there's nothing wrong with math lol).**

**So, it begins! What's up with Monica, and what could possibly happen this chapter? Read on!**

**X – X – X – X**

**Chapter 26 – Adopting a New Attitude**

The two boys silently meandered through the strange, run-down building that they had stumbled upon. The floorboards creaked incessantly and copious amounts of dust floated through the air, a testament to the age of the establishment. Dash paused and caught Tristan's attention.

The dark skinned teen raised a finger to his lips and nodded his head towards the back of the building, where a faint sound could be heard. Tristan nodded and began to approach the back, curious as to what the sound was. Dash followed closely behind.

The two arrived at the room and gazed into it, both shocked to see Monica slumped over in a chair with her hands covering her face.

"Monica!" Dash cried out. The blond screamed loudly in surprise and fell out of the chair she was sitting on. The two boys approached her side swiftly to see if she was all right.

"Are you okay?" Tristan inquired, steadying Monica as she sat back in her chair. The blond forced a smile and nodded immediately.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. You guys just surprised me, that's all," she fibbed. Dash and Tristan stared at the girl skeptically.

"Yeah, I'm not buying that," Dash said with a shake of his head, "Seriously, what's going on?" Still, Monica shook her head.

"Come on, guys." The blond paused to rub her eyes. "I'm **fine, **really. I just needed to get away from the crowd for a bit; my head was starting to hurt." She sighed and rubbed her forehead for emphasis. Tristan tapped Dash on the shoulder and pointed towards the building's exit. Dash flashed him a look that screamed, "What are you doing?"

"Well, if you need something for that, you can always visit the Pokémon Center. They should have something for it. Anyways, we'll see you later." Tristan turned, shoved his hands in his pockets, and began to walk out of the office.

"Let's go, Dash." A confused Dash exhaled and tailed Tristan out the door, taking one last glance at Monica before exiting. The two friends left the decrepit building in silence. The silence was broken, however, when Dash stopped Tristan by grabbing him by the shoulder.

"Why the heck did we leave, again? You don't honestly believe her, do you?" Dash interrogated. Tristan chuckled.

"I **totally **believe her one hundred percent!" The teen cried out sarcastically. "Trust me, though, I did this for a reason. With that being said, I'm heading back in." Dash raised an eyebrow.

"Why did we leave in the first place, then?" Dash wondered aloud, continuing his string of questions.

"I have my reasons for things. Monica thinks we're long gone by now, so she thinks she's able to let her guard down now without anyone noticing. As mean as it may sound, I'm doing this to confirm that there is, in fact, a problem." Dash sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I guess that makes sense. So, are we going to talk to her now?" Tristan chuckled.

"Well, I'm not always the best with the whole comforting thing because of my sarcastic tendencies. You might have to go this one alone," Tristan admitted. Dash rolled his eyes, but grinned nonetheless.

"Thanks a lot," the tall teen said sarcastically. Tristan beamed at him and flashed him a thumbs up.

"Eh, don't worry, you'll be fine. You should be able to find me at the Pokémon Center when all is said and done. See you then!" Dash nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Right. See you later, dude." With those final words, the two friends nodded and turned away from each other to go their separate ways.

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he dodged the incoming waves of pedestrians.

"_I hope Dash's talk with Monica is going well… I don't care what the problem is; I just hope it's fixed,_" he mused. The teen continued down the street towards the Pokémon Center, grateful for the thinning crowd. Within a few short minutes, the Kalosian had arrived at the familiar red-roofed building.

After a busy day of exploring the city, the teen wanted nothing more that to relax. So what better way to do that, he thought, than to sit at a table in the corner of the Pokémon Center and watch TV?

Tristan did just that. The teen began to idly flip through the various channels, eventually stopping to watch an old battle video of someone challenging the Kalos Elite Four. Tristan grinned.

"_One day that'll be me." _The teen suddenly felt a burst of excitement and he thought of himself standing before members of the Elite Four while squaring off in a battle between Pokémon. It was around this time that Tristan noticed a poster hanging under the television. The teen stood up and approached the poster, hoping to be able to read it.

"_The annual Parfum Palace Tournament will be underway at the end of this week! This tournament will host thirty-two trainers and feature a generous cash prize for the winner. Good to luck to all attending, and we'll see you at ten-o-clock!" _the teen read mentally. Tristan whistled.

"Wow, that sounds like the perfect training for my gym battle next week! Looks like I'm participating in a tournament tomorrow!"

**X – X – X – X**

Dash rubbed the back of his head as he took strides towards the rundown building that Monica had hidden in. The teen glanced up in order to get a better look at the building, and his eyes happened to run across a sign lazily nailed above the doorway.

"Adoption center, huh?" he muttered to no one in particular. Dash suddenly recalled the times that Monica had acted strangely. She had avoided the Galette Stand because a girl and her mother walked by, and she had avoided the Furfrou place because she probably saw someone she knew.

"_Monica probably avoided this section of the city because of this building right here, and she didn't want to be reminded of it. I think I'm starting to get what's going on here…" _Without a moment of hesitation, Dash stepped into the inside of the adoption center.

The teen walked in silence, running his hands along the old, dusty wooden walls. The trainer approached the office in the back, still trying to remain as silent as possible. The sound of weeping reached his ears, causing Dash to shake his head and frown.

"Monica?" he called out as he entered the office. The blond glanced up at the teen and immediately turned away in an attempt to hide her tears. Dash walked around the desk that served as a barrier between them and knelt on the floor next to the chair.

"Monica?" he repeated, unsure of how else to continue the conversation. The girl sniffled and wiped her tears away with her sleeve.

"What are you doing here?" the blond quizzed. Dash rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, Tristan decided to head back to the Pokémon Center. We decided that it would be better for me to return alone…" The teen trailed off, opting not to finish the sentence. Monica muttered something and shook her head before staring intently at the floor.

"So you came back to get me, basically. Well, I'm ready to go when you are," she said finally. Dash smirked.

"Sorry, but I don't plan on leaving until I figure out what's up with you, Shorty." Monica growled.

"You know I hate that name, Dash." Dash chuckled.

"Which is exactly why I use it!" he countered. The comment caused Monica to roll her eyes.

"I swear that you hate me at times!" The exclamation caught Dash off guard and he struggled to formulate a response to the bold accusation. The blond next to him sighed and allowed her forehead to make contact with the desk in front of her.

"Just… like my parents…" The blond sighed loudly and slammed her palms on the desk before sitting up. A single tear made its way down her face as she turned to Dash.

"Are you happy now?" she questioned, a hint of anger in her voice. Dash held his hands up defensively.

"I didn't know, I didn't know. If you were bothered this much throughout the day, though, why didn't you say anything?" Dash pondered aloud. Monica mumbled to herself yet again and stood up, pacing around the room. Suddenly, the girl threw her hands in the air and turned towards Dash.

"Who wants to admit that their parents didn't love them enough to keep them, Dash? I'd rather not go up to people and say 'Yeah, it's just GREAT to know that you were adopted by people because your original parents hated your very existence,' you know? I'm fortunate enough to live with a reminder of that EVERY time I think of this city!" The blond finished her rant and leaned against the wall with a huff, fighting the urge to punch something. At this point, her tears had turned to mild anger.

Dash, who had decided to stand up at this point, stood with his mouth agape. Slowly, the African American approached the girl who was standing in the corner. Not knowing what else to do, the teen leaned up against the wall next to her. He looked her straight in the eyes, not fazed by the glare he was given.

"You're not the only one," he reminded her. Monica's eyes widened as another stray tear fell down. How had she forgotten that? In fact, the boy next to her had it way worse than she did.

"I… I forgot about that. You've gone through a lot more than I have, but I don't see you complaining. Shows you how considerate I can be, geez…" Dash shrugged as Monica wiped her tears away in annoyance.

"Eh, don't beat yourself up about it. I don't blame you for acting the way you did. To be honest, I did the same thing you did for a while. I eventually ended up accepting that yeah, some people aren't exactly the nicest, but you'll find a lot more people that are nice.

"Instead of focusing on the fact that I got put up for adoption, I focused on the fact that I had two new, extremely friendly parents. Meeting a new friend or two helps, too." Monica giggled at this.

"Lo and behold, that's where I'm at right about now." Dash laughed.

"It makes sense, right?" he joked. Monica chuckled.

"I suppose so. It's kind of funny… When you put it that way, I really overreacted. I always adopted the stance that my actual parents just hated me. If I thought about it, it could be something completely different," the girl reasoned.

"You might be right. Always focus on the positive side of things!" The two laughed in unison and pushed themselves off of the wall. The two approached the doorway to the office as Monica rubbed her eyes one final time.

"Thanks, Dash," the blond said suddenly. The tall teen shrugged, but he smiled inwardly at Monica's sudden mood change.

"I guess it makes up for the nickname I gave you, Shorty." Monica punched the teen in the arm as they made their way out into the streets of Lumiose, and they both laughed about it.

"You won't see me sad about that anymore, I guarantee it," Monica asserted. Dash grinned.

"I'm holding you to that, you know." Monica smirked.

"I know. Come on; let's get going. Tristan's waiting for us, I'm sure." Dash nodded, and the two friends walked on in silence.

**X – X – X – X **

A knock was heard on the door.

"Jordan, may I enter?" The voice inquired. The Deivis leader sifted through the drawer in their desk and returned with a black mask. The leader swiftly placed the mask on their face before responding.

"Enter."

The admin Drew walked in and shut the door behind him. The man sat down in one of the seats before Jordan's desk in silence. The masked mastermind tapped their fingers on the desk in boredom.

"Well?" The remark elicited a response from Drew, who immediately sat up straight.

"I'm just here to inform you that all of our preparations are complete, and the admins and I have double checked everything ourselves. We're ready to go as soon as you are." Hearing this, Jordan leaned back in their chair and smirked behind their mask.

"Excellent. I appreciate the information, Drew. Inform your team that they will set out tomorrow morning," Jordan instructed. Drew nodded quickly and stood up.

"I'll get on that right away." The high-ranking man turned to leave, but was stopped when Jordan's voice cut through the silence.

"Drew, you and Trinity better not fail me, or you'll regret it." Drew could only nod, paralyzed by the thought of the punishment that could go his way.

"Understood."

**X – X – X – X**

**Ayyy! A chapter returns, and quickly! I told you I was going to try and get stuff up, you know? :P So, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. We finally discovered what was up with Monica, and we also learned of a tournament. Ooh! But wait, Deivis is up to something… Oh boy.**

**1-Was the scene with Monica realistic? I'm honestly not that good at writing scenes like that one, so set me straight if you have to. X3**

**2-Tournament hype?**

**3-Make sure to check out the poll on my profile! It's nothing important, but I'm curious about who's the most liked member of Tristan's team.**


	27. Chapter 27 - Parfum Palace Prizefight

**Hello, everyone! We're back in action! This chapter is going to focus on Tristan and Parfum Palace, etc., so I hope you're ready! See, last chapter was some of the more emotional stuff, and this chapter will be (kinda) the opposite. Sweet!**

**But wait, reviews aren't dead! Shia surprise!**

** El Torro – Update hype! Yeah! I figured that I would (try to) work a lot today and get some chapters out. :P Monica's background has been cleared up a bit, yes, so now we know what's up with her. Tournament hype? Tournament hype. (Deivis has nothing to do with the tournament, by the way). Randomness aside, thanks for the review!**

** Blaze Flacon – I love puns and plays on words, so I had to do it. I'm glad somebody like it! XD But yeah, we got to see what was up with Monica. (Tournament hype? I'll say this: Deivis has nothing to do with this tournament). Thanks for the review!**

**Here we go! I hope you all enjoy!**

**X – X – X – X**

**Chapter 27 – Parfum Palace Prizefight**

An alarm blared incessantly in the background as the overhead speakers boomed.

"Any and all grunts on the infiltration team need to report to the conference room immediately! I repeat: Any and all grunts on the infiltration team need to report to the conference room immediately! That is all!"

The Deivis base was busy, to say the least. Countless grunts hustled about the underground bunker and down the hallways, hurriedly trying to prepare for the mission. Person after person filed into the conference room at the end of the hallway, eager to start their mission. A group of thirty people made their way into their seats, and the large doors to the conference room were shut with a resounding thud.

At the head of the room was a large stage, one taken up by two figures. Trinity and Drew exchanged glances before Drew cleared his throat and stepped up to the podium.

"Attention! You thirty have been selected for this very mission! Failure to perform well and failure to follow orders will result in strict punishment, is that clear?" The multiple Deivis grunts nodded and responded verbally, though slightly unnerved by the admin's frank speech. Drew smirked.

"Good! So, here's the plan!" Trinity stood beside her fellow admin and pressed a button on the remote in her hand, causing the large screen behind her to flicker to life.

"Here's where we're going! When we get there, we'll enter via this back entrance, understood?" Drew received more nods.

"After we break in, we'll need to search the entire premises for any person there. Kill anyone and everyone not on our side, understood? Good. Now, after we eliminate the competition, meet in the lobby. The rest will be taken care of by Trinity and I. Now, who's ready?"

The response was a chorus of cheers, causing Trinity and Drew to grin. The two admins nodded and, after cautiously picking up a brief case, exited the room. The thirty Deivis grunts followed after their superiors, the thought of their upcoming mission consuming every fiber of their being.

**X – X – X – X**

Trinity raised a finger to her lips and waved on the group of thirty grunts behind her. The large group came to a halt as they came face to face with a door. Trinity glanced at Drew, who was already beside the door, and nodded at him.

Drew smirked. The man inhaled sharply and threw all of his weight against the door, causing it to fly open, slamming into the sturdy walls that made up the building they were breaking in to. Drew waved the entire group inside.

"Now, fan out. Kill enemies on sight; no survivors. Meet in the lobby when all is said and done," Drew commanded as he grinned a toothy grin. The Deivis admin then tapped Trinity on the shoulder and motioned towards the lobby. The girl nodded, and the two raced towards the lobby, leaving the thirty grunts to do the dirty work.

"All right, everyone! Let's get to work!" One grunt barked to all of the others, eliciting shouts of confidence. The group took up their arms and set their sights on the entire building.

There was work to be done.

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan yawned and sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes sleepily. The brown haired teen turned and smashed the alarm clock with his open hand, causing the machine to cease its continuous beeping.

Still slightly out of it, Tristan eased his body off of the bed and set his feet on the carpeted floor with a thud. The teen shook his head vigorously and stumbled blindly over to the sink, splashing himself with cold water to wake up. The Kalosian looked into the mirror and grinned.

"Tournament hype!" he mumbled as he began to get ready. Hurriedly, the trainer threw on his usual clothes that he wore for travel: dark blue jeans combined with a shirt of a similar hue. As he slowly became more awake, the teen slipped into his black running shoes, which were starting to become worn from all of his travelling.

Tristan then dashed out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, grabbing his backpack and belt of Poké Balls. The trainer then reached for his glasses, being extra careful not to break them, and made a few quick strides for the door.

"Parfum Palace tournament, here I come," he murmured.

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan took a deep breath in as he navigated the streets of Lumiose City. To say that he was excited could be considered an understatement.

"_I'm sure my team can win this tournament! We've been working hard and we're on a roll, and there's no way we'll be slowed down!_" The teen mused. Suddenly, realization hit Tristan like a ton of bricks, and his blue eyes widened.

"_When I battled Gray, her Pokémon has those translators… Why haven't I gotten those yet?_" The teen chuckled and glanced at his Pokédex to confirm that he did, indeed, have enough time to acquire the electronic devices. Tristan grinned.

"Looks like I have enough time if I jog. Challenge accepted!" Without another word, Tristan pocketed his Pokédex and began to jog around Lumiose, glad that the day was still young.

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan used his hand as a visor as he gazed at the large castle before him, and he whistled in awe.

"That looks freakin' cool! I'm glad that I'm able to see this place up close and personal…" The trainer trailed off as realization hit him like a train once again. Tristan immediately dropped his bag on the ground and began sifting through it. He grinned when he found what he was looking for. His right hand hovered over to his belt of Poké Balls.

"All right, everyone, come on out!" In multiple flashes of light, Tristan's team was revealed. The five Pokémon all cried out joyously and smiled in their own ways at their trainer. Tristan laughed.

"It's good to see you all, too. Hey, I've got something interesting to tell you all. But first, I have something to give you all." After a moment of digging into his bag, Tristan held out five metal boxes. The boxes had straps on two sides, and they looked like they could be attached to someone's body.

"Those are called translators," the fifteen-year-old explained as every member of the team grabbed for one, "Basically, you'll strap them around your neck and it allows me to understand what you're saying. You'll be able to switch them off if you want to, though."

All five creatures before him nodded and examined the devices in curiosity. Tristan watched as Greninja strapped the electronic device around his neck and flipped it on.

"Hello?" the frog called out. The water type flinched at the sound of his voice, clearly not used the sound of it. Tristan laughed along with the rest of the team.

"You're all going to sound kind of strange until you get used to it, sadly. I think it's worth it, though." Everyone else nodded in agreement, drawing a grin from Tristan.

The teen then proceeded to assist his team, helping the rest of them equip their translators. Chansey smiled gratefully while Gogoat and Diggersby simply nodded. Manectric responded with a lick to the face. Tristan took a step back, wiping Manectric's slobber off of his face with thinly veiled disgust.

"So, now that that's done with, how are you all doing?" He was met with a chorus of 'good' and 'fine'. The Kalosian nodded.

"Good, good. So, I'm sure you all have noticed where we are." More nods. "Right. We're at Parfum Palace near Lumiose. I saw a poster in the Pokémon Center that spoke of a tournament here, and I knew it would be a great opportunity to test ourselves. Are you guys ready to win?" All five cheered and roared in excitement, eliciting a grin from Tristan. Without another word, Tristan recalled the entirety of his team, but changed his mind and summoned Greninja.

"If it's cool with you, I'd like you to accompany me," Tristan said. The starter flashed his trainer a thumbs up.

"It's fine with me!" With that, the two trainers began to walk towards the palace. The tournament was only one hundred yards away. As the two continued to near their target, Greninja cleared his throat.

"Are you sure that the tournament is today, Tristan?" The fifteen-year-old nodded confidently.

"I'm sure of it. We're just a bit early, Greninja, don't worry." The response didn't change the ninja frog's uncertainty, but he nodded nonetheless. The two continued to walk in silence, now fifty yards from their destination.

Greninja stopped abruptly, causing Tristan to raise an eyebrow.

"What's up?" he inquired. The amphibian didn't respond, instead opting to close his eyes. A few moments passed before he opened them again.

"Someone else is near us, but that's all I know. They're not too far, though." Tristan gulped. Something about the remark was unsettling. The boy scratched the back of his head and began to observe his surroundings, but wasn't able to spot anyone.

"Hello? Is someone there?" he interrogated aloud. The teen's gaze snapped to the left when the sound of rustling grass reached his ears. Cautiously, Greninja approached the source of the noise. The dark type's eyes widened, and he motioned hastily for Tristan to join him. Tristan had to bite his tongue in order to not yell.

There was an elderly man lying in the grass and his breathing was laborious. He struggled to speak as he lifted his shaking hand to reach out to Tristan. The most startling thing was the large knife embedded in the man's chest. Copious amounts of blood poured from the opening and spilled onto the grass. Tristan looked on in horror, paralyzed by confusion and disgust.

"Y-You have t-to stop them… They're mad, I tell you, mad!" The man wheezed and his hand crashed to the ground. His form was quiescent, motionless.

"He's gone." Greninja told the teen simply. Tristan covered his face with his hand and exhaled.

"You don't think…?" Greninja nodded as he stepped away from the old man's body.

"It's probably Deivis." Tristan clenched his fists.

"We're going after them."

**X – X – X – X**

"Is everything ready, Trinity?"

"For the fourth time, Drew, yes!" the female exclaimed in exasperation. The male admin raised his hands defensively.

"Calm down, woman, I'm just asking a simple question!" Trinity rolled her eyes at the defensive remark and stood up.

"We're all ready to go. Do you have the Poké Flute?" Drew dug into his bag and brandished the object moments later, drawing a nod from Trinity. It was a mere instrument with a fake Poké Ball attached to the end, yet they had gone to all of this trouble to acquire it.

"I don't know why we need it, but we have it. All right, grunts, let's get moving!" The admin called out to his inferiors, and all thirty of them responded obediently. The group of thirty-two furtively and quickly exited the building. Many minutes later, the small crowd seemed to fade into the woods, shrouded by the leaves.

"Do you have the button?" Drew asked. Trinity, who was crouching next to him, smirked as she produced the item in question. The Deivis admin carefully flipped open the glass that encased the large, red button as if the device could kill her if she was too reckless.

"Looks like this place is going out with a bang!" Trinity exclaimed as she slammed the button with her hand.

Parfum Palace would be known as "The Rubble Residence" in the Deivis base for the next week.

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan and Greninja exchanged glances of concern as they entered the prestigious Parfum Palace.

"Nobody's here..." Tristan mumbled. Greninja shook his head.

"Nobody alive, at least," the frog mentioned, referring to the bodies strewn across the lobby. Tristan shuddered as he continued to explore the large area.

"What do you think they wanted, Greninja? Why would they go to such extremes for whatever this is?" His starter shrugged, taking the moment to glance behind him.

"I… have no clue. Whatever it is must be of some value to them." Tristan rolled his eyes.

"You don't say?" he responded sarcastically. Greninja ignored the comment and continued to explore the lobby, looking for a clue that would tell him what Deivis could have wanted. The amphibian was stopped, however, when his attention was drawn to an empty pedestal.

"It's a strange thing. Everything in this place looks to be untouched except for this pedestal. What one item could be considered so important?"

"That's a good –" The trainer was cut off when he suddenly heard a deafening 'boom'. The teen's eyes went wide as he saw chunks of the palace's ceiling come crashing down to the tile floor.

"Greninja, return!" Tristan ordered as he held up a Poké Ball. The frog reluctantly obeyed, allowing himself to be zapped inside the spherical device.

"_I need to get out of here!_" Tristan thought in a panicked manner. The teen whirled around quickly as gigantic pieces of rock began to crumble and drop to the floor around him. The trainer stumbled backwards as a piece of rubble plummeted to the floor right in front of him. Tristan fell onto his back in surprise.

The teen looked up, which he regretted immediately. More slabs crashed to the floor around him, unnerving him. Tristan began to get up, only to scream in pain as a hefty chunk of stone landed right on his foot. He got up, trying to fight through the pain coursing through his leg, but was unable to and fell to the ground again. Desperately, the trainer began to crawl towards the exit. His efforts were in vain.

Another round of explosions rocked the building. The assault proved too much for the palace to handle. The roof collapsed…

And Tristan was right in the middle of it.

**X – X – X – X**

The sound of explosions rang through Lumiose, as did the loud cries of panic coming from the civilians. Among those civilians were Monica and Dash, who were staying in the Pokémon Center for safety.

"Where did that come from?" Monica wondered with wide eyes. Dash glanced up at the TV, which was showing a live news report about the very recent event.

"It says Parfum Palace…" the tall teen responded. Monica frowned.

"That's bad. That place has been a landmark for what seems like forever! Who would've done something like this? Wait…" The blond trailed off as a thought pushed its way to the forefront of her mind, "You don't think Tristan was there, do you?" Dash glared at her for a brief moment.

"He's not. Don't worry, just stay positive." Monica sighed.

"I hope you're right."

**X – X – X – X**

**Dang, son! Stuff just went down! Basically, Deivis infiltrated Parfum Palace, killed everyone present, and ran away with the Poké Flute. They decided to bomb the place afterwards. What could they possibly want with the Poké Flute? Is Tristan okay? These questions will be answered… eventually.**

**I hope you all enjoyed this kind of hectic chapter. Deivis has finally shown their true colors, and they are not joking around! The palace has fallen. **

**So, how do you all like the two chapters in a day thing? I really tried to update, because I'll have stuff to occupy me during the week (which means not as much writing :/).**

**Anyways, thanks for reading!**


	28. Chapter 28 - Short-lived Success

**Hola, amigos! I don't know a lot of Spanish, but I'm pretty sure that said "Hello, friends!" How's everyone doing? I hope the answer is something along the lines of "well".**

**So, it seems the last chapter was received well by the readers. That's good. Review hype!**

** Blaze Falcon – Tristan has certainly found himself in a tricky situation, and it's all Deivis' fault! They are pretty ruthless, indeed, and you'll see a bit more of it as time goes on. Thanks for reviewing!**

** El Torro – The legendary two chapter posting day, said to come every 9001 years, has payed us a visit. Oh man. XD I appreciate the compliment (and the reference to Scooby Doo). Tristan is certainly in an unfavorable position. Deivis, meanwhile, sits back with their bad selves. Clearly they're up to no good (I don't remember saying anything about Deivis preparing Tristan for the league, but correct me if I'm wrong). You are right about one thing though: Deivis is definitely a threat, and will be quite dangerous. Thanks for the review!**

**So, before we jump in, I might as well refresh your memory, reader. Last chapter Tristan visited Parfum Palace, hoping to participate in a tournament there. Surprise, surprise, Deivis happens to be on the scene and screws everything up, stealing the Poké Flute and blowing up the place in the process. This chapter will follow the experiences of other characters during the same day. Enjoy!**

**X – X – X – X**

**Chapter 28 – Short-lived Success**

A bored Dash drummed his fingers monotonously on the table, sighing as he observed the TV half-heartedly. It had been an hour or so since the tall teen had heard of the explosion that happened just outside Lumiose City and, as concerning as the event was, Dash was more worried about what he was going to accomplish during the day.

"You know…" the African American mused aloud, "I _could _cram some more training in before my gym battle in a few days… Sounds good to me!" With his mind now settled on one goal, Dash eagerly scooted out of his chair and hopped up. The teen turned and exited the Pokémon Center, already mapping out his route in his head.

Dash took a left turn and, after pushing his way past many waves of passerby, began his trek towards his destination.

**X – X – X – X**

Dash grinned as he caught a glimpse of his destination. All he had to do was take a few more strides, and he could put his skills as a trainer to the test.

Finally, the tall teen arrived at his destination, a sense of anxiousness welling up inside of him as he gripped the door handle. Dash entered the building before him, which, upon entry, looked surprisingly plain. The teen scratched his head in curiosity. The building he was in seemed too claustrophobic to be what he was looking for.

Surely the Battle Institute would be more than just modest, cream-colored walls and bland, white and gray tile flooring. Dash's evaluation of the building was interrupted when the sound of someone's voice reached his ears.

"Are you here for the Battle Institute challenge?"

Okay, maybe it could be that simple.

Dash glanced up and locked eyes with a smiling blond woman in black attire, nodding as he spoke.

"I guess I am! I figured this would be a good place to train for my gym battle soon," he responded. The lady across from him, who was the only one preventing him from initiating the challenge, grinned at him.

"I can assure you that you've made an excellent choice. So, I take it that you'd like to get to your battles. Would you like to take the single or double battle challenge?" Dash responded almost immediately, intent on beginning as soon as he could.

"Single." The blond nodded and tapped on the keyboard beside her lightly.

"Alright! Your challenge will consist of five single battles. These battles will be three-on-three, and you must use the same three Pokémon for the entirety of this challenge. Are you ready to begin?" she inquired, almost robotically. Dash smirked and made his way past the woman, taking strides onto the ornate blue rug behind her. He had made his choices on the way to the Battle Institute.

"I'm more than ready! Let's get this thing started!" he cried excitedly. The Battle Institute helper chuckled at the trainer's energy and focused again on her keyboard, typing another message.

"Your challenge begins now! Good luck!"

Dash exhaled, eager to commence with his battle. The African American wasted no time in snatching a Poké Ball from his belt as a child stepped onto the battlefield. The girl across from him sported short, brown hair and had donned a frilly, pink dress. She wore a look of total confidence as she stood there, tossing a Poké Ball nonchalantly into the air. Without a word being spoken, the two trainers cast the spherical devices onto the makeshift battlefield.

Before Dash stood a bipedal canine with spiky, yellow fur. Jolteon yipped excitedly as it zipped back and forth and eyed its opponent, who appeared to be an orange weasel creature with a yellow ring around its neck.

"Type advantage won't scare us!" Dash's opponent cried fearlessly, or perhaps naïvely, "Buizel, use Aqua Jet!" The water type smirked and stamped its feet on the ground, allowing its body to become enveloped in rushing water. With a loud cry, Buizel sped forward and slammed headfirst into Jolteon, and the two yelped at the soreness brought upon them by the crash.

"Stay strong, Jolteon!" Dash encouraged, not backing down an inch, "Let 'em have it with a Thunderbolt at full power!" Jolteon snickered despite the pain coursing through its head and leapt back as electricity danced over its fur. The hair on its back stood on end as a wicked current of electricity sped towards Buizel, who was still clutching his head after his collision with Jolteon.

The aquatic creature howled as it was shocked into submission by Dash's energetic electric type, and Buizel fell limply to the ground as smoke arose from its body. Weakly, Buizel attempted to stand upright again, refusing to back down, but found itself unable to when its knees wobbled uncontrollably, causing it to face-plant.

"Return, Buizel!" shouted the young girl, trying to remain confident despite Jolteon's commanding win over her Pokémon. However, the female found herself at a loss. Out of her two Pokémon, who could compete with that kind of power? She shrugged inwardly and snapped a Poké Ball off of her belt, throwing caution to the wind.

"Let's do this thing, Cacnea!" In a flash of bright light, a small, round, cactus-like creature dropped onto the floor and spun its thorny arms wildly. Based on its color – green – the Pokémon was a grass type. Dash grinned when the Pokédex informed him that Cacnea was indeed a grass type.

"Jolteon, use Thunder Wave!" Dash barked with a snap. A weak current of energy slid off of Jolteon's body like water and rushed towards its desert-dwelling foe, who rolled out of the way quickly.

"Chase it with Quick Attack!" Dash continued aggressively. Jolteon yipped and blitzed Cacnea as streaks of light appeared around its frame, broadcasting its nimbleness to everyone watching. However, Dash's opponent was able to counter with ease.

"Stop Jolteon with Pin Missile!" the girl cried hastily. Cacnea grunted in acknowledgment and crossed its arms as the green spikes that littered its body began to shine a bright white. With a mighty shout, Cacnea threw its arms forward, causing the spikes on its body to fly through the air like missiles. The projectiles homed in on the speeding bullet that was Jolteon and struck the electric type in the side, throwing off its momentum and flinging it to the ground.

"Now, follow up with Needle Arm!" Cacnea sprinted forward as its thorny arm grew a pale green and leapt into the air to bring its arm down on Jolteon like a guillotine.

"Pin Missile to the face, go!" Dash screamed last second. Jolteon chuckled as a flurry of projectiles rose from its body and rammed into Cacnea's torso. The spherical Pokémon cried out in pain as it was shot out of the air by the super effective attack. Cacnea hit the ground with an audible thud and rolled over, making an attempt to avoid lying on its injuries.

"You have to get up, Cacnea!" Dash's opponent ordered in worry. Cacnea grunted and began to push itself up slowly as its arms began to quiver uncontrollably. The grass type flopped to the ground, however, when its arms gave out. Dejectedly, the girl in the pink dress returned her second fallen Pokémon.

Dash waited patiently for the girl's third and final combatant and called Jolteon back to his side, running various scenarios in his head depending on what Pokémon his competitor had. However, the African American was snapped out of his musings when the blond woman who had welcomed him tapped him on the shoulder.

"Dash, there's someone requesting you," she stated simply. A confused Dash recalled Jolteon and exited the makeshift battlefield, and the dressed up greeter motioned him towards the doorway of the Battle Institute, which functioned as both an entrance and an exit. Dash stepped outside.

Monica met his gaze as he exited the Battle Institute. She seemed panicked.

"What's wrong?" he inquired immediately. Monica swatted a stray strand of hair away from her face. She seemed to be on the verge of tears.

"Nurse Joy from the Pokémon Center told me that Tristan is severely injured, and that he was found beneath the rubble of Parfum Palace. Do you think he's…?" Dash used his hand to cover the blonde's lips, silencing her.

"Positive thoughts, remember?" he reminded her with a faint smile, "Now, let's go see him. He'll be fine."

**X – X – X – X**

A still panicked Monica and strangely calm Dash burst through the sliding doors of Lumiose City's Pokémon Center and approached the counter intently. Monica slammed her palms on the main desk and focused on Nurse Joy.

"Can we see Tristan?" the blond interrogated. The pink haired woman scratched the back of her head nervously, feeling pressured by the tone behind the words.

"Of course! Just please try not to shout," she answered. Monica bowed several times, embarrassed.

"S-Sorry. Thank you!" The blond spoke to Nurse Joy graciously, still blushing slightly from her earlier question. With another nod of thanks, the duo strode intently to the back of the Pokémon Center. Suddenly, however, a man in a white coat stopped them.

"Are you two here to see Tristan?" he inquired. The two nodded slowly, their hearts starting to pace. The man nodded and wiped his forehead with his forearm.

"His injuries were quite bad, and we've worked for hours, doing everything we could. After all of this time, our work is done. Your friend is no longer in pain."

Monica fell to her knees and buried her head in her hands as the doctor inched past them, not keen on continuing the conversation.

Tristan was dead.

**X – X – X – X**

**Well, that was most definitely an ending!**

**We began to chapter with Dash's adventures through Lumiose, and we got to witness how much stronger he's gotten (or perhaps how much he outclassed his opponent). However, things took a turn for the worse.**

**Yep, Tristan's dead. "But wait! You wouldn't kill the main character!" I just did, though. #BreakTheMeta So, I'm going to leave you all with that. I hope you all enjoyed. Until next time… if there is one.**


	29. Chapter 29 - Revival of the Fittest

**Hello! Chapter 29 coming right at you! Tristan's dead, but this story's not! What could I possibly have to write about? You'll see.**

** ElTorro – Tristan is dead indeed. :O Dash and Monica are both shaken up, by the way. I try to delve deeper into that this chapter, so we'll see how that goes. Yes, Dash did kill it. Thanks for reviewing!**

** Blaze Falcon – RIP Tristan, he will be missed. I will say this: Arcues and Xerneas will do nothing to bring Tristan back, nothing at all. Thanks for the compliment about the battles! However, on a less happy note, you now get to see the reactions of the group as a whole in regards to Tristan's death. Oh boy. Thanks for the review!**

**Well, let's hop right into it! Enjoy!**

**X – X – X – X**

**Chapter 29 – Revival of the Fittest**

Monica slumped against the wall with her head cradled in her hands. She sobbed uncontrollably.

Tristan… dead? The thought seemed so impossible to the blond. He was fifteen, for crying out loud! But, his life was taken away just like that.

The blond continued sobbing in her whirlwind of emotions and questions as Dash helped her to her feet, too shocked to say or do anything else. Who could have done this? Dash gave the girl a pat on the back, struggling to find the words to comfort her.

How could he console her if he couldn't calm himself? On the outside everything appeared perfectly all right, but he was truly hurting on the inside. His childhood friend, one of the few people who learned to put up with his craziness, was nonexistent now. Tristan was gone in the blink of an eye. Dash wrapped the still bawling teen into a hug.

"Things will be fine, Monica, don't worry…" he assured her with a shaking voice. He had never said something with so little conviction. Dash glanced up when something appeared in the corner of his eyes. The tall teen scowled as the newfound presence caused a mental light bulb to go off.

"What are you doing here, Blade?" The black haired teen raised his hands defensively.

"I heard what happened, that's all. It's a tragedy, really," Blade muttered as he shook his head. Dash rolled his eyes as Monica folded her arms.

"I'm sure you and the rest of Deivis don't care. Frankly, I'm trying not to punch you right now! Get out and go back to blowing up buildings, terrorist," he grumbled harshly. Blade reeled back as if slapped, wide-eyed.

"You still don't understand!" he said in a hushed whisper, "I had nothing to do with this!" The teen stared at the floor as he trailed off.

"I was hoping that Tristan would live…" he finished genuinely. Dash's and Monica's expression softened, but only slightly. Monica reassumed her gruff demeanor and shoved past the teen.

"Where are you going?" Dash quizzed. Monica opted out of responding, instead making her way towards the rooms in the back. Dash followed in curiosity, unaware of Blade's pursuit. Dash finally caught up with Monica as the blond entered the room where Tristan had died. The blond fought back tears and she ignored the doctors in the room, instead focusing on a belt of Poké Balls by the bed: Tristan's.

"Someone has to do it," Monica said as she held the belt in her hand. No more words were spoken as the girl tossed Tristan's five Poké Balls to the ground, revealing his team in five bright flashes of light. The chorus of happy cries that echoed through the room soon faded as the five witnessed the somber looks of Dash and Monica. All was silent.

Monica forced as smile and cleared her throat.

"I don't know how to tell you all this but… Tristan's, uh, gone." The girl couldn't prevent her tears from flowing yet another time, so she latched on to the nearest person – Dash. Tristan's team stood still, all five of them bearing looks of confusion.

"Are you saying he's… dead?" Greninja asked. The amphibian received his answer when he turned around and saw his trainer's lifeless body in the bed. The frog's heart dropped along with the hearts of his teammates.

The seven in the room grieved as one for the loss of their trainer and friend.

**X – X – X – X**

Thirty minutes passed before the group finally settled down and returned to the Pokémon Center lobby, their spirits shaken to their very foundations. What should they do? What _could _they do?

Monica and Dash glanced at each other, at a loss for words. Sure, they knew that they couldn't travel with Tristan forever, but they didn't expect the end of the road to come so soon. The two humans began to converse, making a desperate attempt to conjure up plans and take their minds off of the events that had recently transpired.

Unknown to the two Kalos natives, the members of Tristan's team were in a discussion at the same time; they were speaking without translators, however. The teens suddenly caught wind of the ambiguous conversation and were drawn to it, though they did not know why.

Suddenly, Chansey mentioned something that was met with harsh disapproval from the other four members of the team. Gogoat and Diggersby shook their heads adamantly while Greninja and Manectric made an effort to argue against the pink Pokémon verbally. Still, the healer seemed very adamant about her viewpoint.

Chansey began to take steps back, making loud declarations in the Pokémon language, which were met with objections of increasing volume. A perplexed Monica and Dash stood up, acting as a barricade between Chansey and the rest of Tristan's team.

"What's going on?" Dash interrogated in exasperation. Dash received a response, but not one that he could understand. Taking note of this, Greninja pointed frantically behind the two trainers before him. Monica turned around and muttered something, tapping Dash on the shoulder. The two humans whirled around, both surprised to see Chansey sprinting down the hallway.

"Chansey, wait!" Gogoat ordered as he flipped his translator back on. The three remaining Pokémon mimicked the cocky Pokémon's actions and raced after the egg-shaped creature, begging for Chansey to stop. Monica and Dash exchanged puzzled glances and pursued the frantic group.

The two Kalosians followed the assembly closely into Tristan's hospital room, still mystified. What were they doing?

Chansey interrupted any musings the two humans had by hopping onto Tristan's bed despite vehement protests from her four teammates. The Chansey exhaled slowly and mumbled words directed at the four creatures behind her. Gogoat shook his head in disbelief as Manectric whimpered.

Without warning, the healer harbored a vibrant green energy and channeled it into her arms. The pink Pokémon began to hum softly as the energy spread from her stubby arms to her entire body, shrouding her. Then, a pink light was thrown into the mix and melted into the green aura, causing the energy surrounding Chansey to increase in magnitude.

The pink Pokémon then glanced at her four teammates and nodded as a single tear trickled down her face. The mixture of green and pink energy condensed into one sphere between Chansey's hands, and she lifted it into the air.

Unexpectedly, Chansey closed her eyes and crashed to the floor, startling all present. Manectric whined, approached the collapsed healer, and nudged her with his nose. She was quiescent, silent, and lifeless.

Chansey was dead.

**X – X – X – X**

An enraged Jordan growled and slammed their hand on the sole button lying on their desk. The Deivis leader leaned forward into the microphone and spoke, bitterness evident in their speech.

"Drew, Trinity, my office… now!" they screamed. The tone behind the masked mastermind's voice caused fear to rise up inside the two admins in question, and the two begrudgingly and nervously entered their leader's office. The duo sat down in utter silence.

"Do you know why I have called you here?" Jordan interrogated, not wasting a second. Trinity and Drew glanced at each other.

"Does it have to do with Parfum Palace?" Drew responded with a question, which coaxed a nod from Jordan.

"You're not as dumb as you look. Now, have you been paying attention to the news lately?" Jordan continued as their voice began to increase in volume. The two admins sitting before the furious leader gulped.

"N-No, we haven't…" Trinity responded with uncharacteristic meekness. Jordan scowled and leaned back in their chair.

"What if I told you someone outside of the Parfum Palace staff died in your explosion?" Jordan made a split-second decision to prevent the response of the two fools poised before them.

"You IDIOTS didn't check the perimeter before you blew the place sky high! If you had, you would've noticed that TRISTAN was there! You two know how crucial he was to our plans, and now we need to find someone to replace him, which is difficult, by the way!" The masked mastermind hollered at the top of their lungs, trying and failing to keep calm. Both Trinity and Drew stared blankly at the ground, knowing that they had made a horrible error.

Deivis grumbled as they opened the drawer to their desk.

Trinity and Drew's eyes widened as they witnessed their leader brandish a gun and point it directly at them.

"I told you once, and I'll say it one last time," Jordan spat, "I will NOT tolerate failure!" Just as the enraged individual began to put increasing force on the trigger of the gun, the office door flew wide open, crashing into the wall behind it.

"Boss, boss! I have news!" cried a simple grunt. The masked menace raised an eyebrow and lowered their gun for a brief moment, leaving Trinity and Drew to sigh in relief.

"Speak, and speak quickly." The grunt nodded vigorously and held up the phone in their hand.

"I just received a call from one of our men in the Lumiose Pokémon Center, and they've confirmed that Tristan is alive!" explained the grunt, not knowing the impact of his words. Jordan slammed their open palms on their oak desk.

"Tristan is alive?" they shouted in a perplexed manner. The grunt nodded slowly. Jordan grinned beneath their mask and dropped their gun into its drawer, closing it silently.

"I don't know how it happened, but this is good news. Thank you, grunt, you may leave now." The anxious grunt nodded gratefully and sprinted out of the office, glad to have avoided the bad side of their leader. Jordan turned to the two admins still present.

"You two… You made a grave mistake, but somebody has cleaned up your mess for you. The both of you have a second chance, so use it wisely. If you wind up failing me again, I will end your petty existences regardless of it being fixed or not! Do you understand?" they barked ferociously. The two admins nodded timidly.

"Th-thank you, Jordan," Trinity squeaked. The masked menace waved the girl's comment off.

"Whatever. Now, get out of my office." Not wanting to anger their leader further, the two authorities stood up swiftly and vanished from the office almost instantly. Jordan sat down and sighed.

"Those idiots almost lost the game for us. Luckily, one of our key players avoided a nasty injury… Let the game continue, then."

**X – X – X – X**

A lone figure groaned and sat up, rubbing their head. They instinctively began to observe their surroundings; everything was white.

"Where am I?" Tristan muttered. The teen looked around once again and realized that he was sitting in a bed. The Kalosian almost fell out of said bed when a loud, unified cry rang in his ears.

Suddenly, Tristan was pinned to his bed by an ecstatic Manectric, and Greninja, Diggersby and Gogoat were perched just as eagerly on the side of his bed. Monica, Dash and Blade stood in the background with their mouths agape. The confused trainer chuckled.

"Hey, uh, what's going on…? It's good to see you all, but I'm confused." Tristan received his answer soon after when Manectric replied via his translator.

"You're alive, you're alive! Oh man, we were so worried! You were gone and then stuff happened and then…!" The energetic canine was cut off when Tristan raised his hand.

"Woah, woah, woah. Dead? I was _dead_?" Tristan asked incredulously. The four Pokémon before him nodded slowly. The shocked teen took a moment to take the information in.

"That's crazy! But, if I was dead, how did I make it back to you guys? Speaking of you guys, where's Chansey?" The Kalosian encountered utter silence as he witnessed his party exchange glances of concern.

"Guys? Where's Chansey?" Tristan interrogated. Greninja received an encouraging nod from Gogoat, and he sighed.

"It pains me to say this but… Chansey's, uh, dead, Tristan." The frog's message was met with silence from his trainer. Tristan chuckled.

"You guys are joking, right?" he quizzed as he sat up straight once again. More silence.

"I wish…" Gogoat muttered as he eyed the floor. Tristan's heart sank.

"What do you mean _dead_? What happened to Chansey? Why is she – how did she? This isn't right!" he cried out. A lone tear slid down the shocked teen's face.

"We tried to tell her not to, Tristan, but she wouldn't listen! Chansey had this stupid idea to use Healing Wish to revive you, and we told her she was crazy! We didn't know until the last second that to continue your life she had to end hers…" Gogoat explained, fading into a whisper. Tristan soaked up the words like a sponge and fell silent, turning his gaze to the ceiling.

"Chansey's gone…?" With a sudden surge of emotion, Tristan seized Greninja, who was closest to him, by the shoulders.

"Why didn't you stop her?" he questioned harshly, his voice laced with anger. Greninja seemed to pale and fumble over his words.

"We-we-we couldn't! I already told you that she wouldn't listen to us! Even if we did carry her away from this room, we couldn't have stopped her from using the move! We didn't know that this would happen!" Greninja protested as he raised his arms defensively. Tristan muttered something and released his hold on the water type, resting his head on his left arm. The teen pinched the bridge of his nose as a second tear ran down the side of his face.

"Tristan? You okay dude?" Dash inquired with worry evident in his speech.

"I need to be alone," Tristan announced, his words cutting through the air like a blade. Monica and Dash exchanged glances of discomfort.

"But Tristan –!"

"I don't care, Monica! Everyone out, now!" the teen continued, this time much louder. Monica reeled back from the words as if slapped, and she looked to Dash for help. The tall teen sighed and shook his head. The two, despite every fiber of their being screaming for them to do the opposite, turned and exited the room in silence, their hearts heavy. Blade shook his head and followed suit, leaving Tristan alone.

Before anyone on his team could speak, Tristan recalled all of them and tossed his belt of Poké Balls to the floor with another muttered saying.

Chansey was dead.

"Why did you do it, Chansey?" Tristan whispered rhetorically. The teen ran a hand through his hair and slammed his hand on the mattress.

Everything was dead silent.

**X – X – X – X**

**Holy crap! That's such a strange ending to the chapter… It made sense though, did it not?**

**So, surprise, surprise, Tristan is back! But, he was brought back at a price: the life of Chansey. In case you all are confused, let me explain to you my logic (if I have any lol):**

**Chansey knows a Healing Wish, a move that causes the user to faint in order to restore the HP of an ally. (Basically you get rid of all of your health in exchange for restoring the health of another). So, according to my logic, if you were attempting to revive a DEAD person, it would require a lot more energy, and therefore use your life. (Does that make sense? I hope so. XD) Anyway, it was noble of Chansey, was it not?**

**So, where do we go from here? Tristan's obviously not okay with this. How will this affect his journey? You'll have to see next chapter! I hope you all enjoyed.**

**(Last second note: Go vote in the poll on my profile if you have not, reader).**

**1-What are your thoughts on Chansey's death and Tristan's revival?**

**2-Did I do an okay job portraying emotions, etc.? I'm not exactly great at it, so I hope I did fine.**


	30. Chapter 30 - Fatal Flop

**Hello, hello, hello! Last chapter was a chapter of mixed feelings. On one hand, Tristan is alive, but on the other is a dead Chansey. You will be missed, Chansey. **

**So, this chapter is some of the aftermath from last chapter's events. Tristan's team will make an effort to cheer their trainer up… but how? Read on!**

** El Torro – Yeah, Chansey's death is unfortunate. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, if you can call it enjoyment. Thanks for the compliments, and thanks for reviewing!**

**So, let's begin!**

**X – X – X – X**

**Chapter 30 – Fatal Flop**

Greninja and Manectric talked amongst each other as Gogoat and Diggersby competed against each other in a contest of strength. Tristan stared on disinterestedly, which did not go unnoticed by his four team members.

"Guys, get over here," Greninja ordered, waving Diggersby and Gogoat over to his side. The two powerful Pokémon nodded and ceased their clashing to meet with the amphibian and the electric type next to him.

"What's up?" Diggersby inquired. Greninja cracked his knuckles and nodded with subtlety towards Tristan, who was gazing at the ground absentmindedly. Diggersby and Gogoat followed the water type's hints and nodded in realization.

"It's been what, two days or so since Chansey passed? He hasn't gotten any better since then, and it's starting to bug me ever so slightly. What do you think we should do to lift his spirits?" Gogoat swiped at the ground, deep in thought, while Diggersby folded his arms and closed his eyes, meditating on the question. It was Manectric who spoke up finally.

"We've got to do something to cheer him up… Something like a battle! Ooh, yeah! I like that idea! Can we do that one?" Manectric proposed excitedly. The remaining three mulled the idea over briefly before nodding in unison. Gogat smirked.

"If anything will cheer the guy up, it's a battle. That has to be it. Now, somebody flip this stupid translator on…" Diggersby rolled his eyes and flipped the switch on the electronic device into the "on" position, drawing a nod of thanks from the grass type.

Without another word being exchanged, the posse inched towards their downcast trainer, intent on getting him to snap out of his funk.

"Hey, Tristan!" Gogoat shouted. The teen in questioned snapped his head up, still wearing a look of disinterest.

"Yes, Gogoat?" he responded in a monotone voice. The grass goat refrained from rolling his eyes.

"Look, we had a pretty great idea. We all think it's time for you to earn your next badge. It'll be a welcome change, I'm sure." Gogoat frowned when his Kalosian trainer shook his head.

"There's no point in going, Gogoat. Chansey's gone, and I'm really not in the mood right now…" The goat grunted as he exchanged glances with his teammates.

"Yeah… We don't care. Come on, you're coming with us to win your gym badge." Tristan sighed as he stood up to stretch.

"If it makes you happy, fine."

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan gazed intently at the lofty structure that was Prism Tower, a famous landmark known throughout the entirety of the Kalos region. On any other given day, the team would be excited. But now… that excitement was no more than a dull sense of intrigue in the back of his mind. With a sigh of slight annoyance, the teen stepped inside the stark white building.

Tristan walked across the lobby of the building, showing no signs of noticing the people around him. The teen didn't bother trying to strike up a conversation with anyone, not even Greninja. Moments later, the brown haired teen reached the elevator and jabbed the "up" button forcefully. The doors opened seconds later, allowing Tristan and his first Pokémon to step inside.

The elevator ride, though less than a minute, seemed to be an eternity. Tristan breathed a sigh of relief when the doors opened for the second time, presenting him the option of stepping out of the elevator, which he seized eagerly. Oh, how the small things annoyed him so easily.

As soon as the teen entered the large room at the top of the tower, a friendly male who seemed to be around his age, perhaps slightly older, greeted him.

"Hello there! My name's Clemont, and I'm the gym leader of Lumiose City! I'm going to assume that you're here to challenge me." Tristan simply nodded, opting not to respond. Clemont, though slightly irked by the teen's lack of care, smiled and rubbed the back of his yellow hair awkwardly.

"Well, this gym will be a three-on-three match, and I'm not allowed to switch Pokémon directly! We'll begin now, if you're ready. Let's shock 'em, Emolga!" With a cry filled with energy, Clemont threw a Poké Ball into the air, which cracked open with a flash of light to reveal a flying squirrel with a white, black and yellow color scheme. Tristan stared the energetic acrobat down and made his decision in a matter of two seconds.

"Gogoat, let's get this over with." Tristan continued with his monotone voice and tossed the Poké Ball onto the field, a lack of energy evident in the action. In a bright flash of light, the goat with a leafy coating materialized on the battlefield. The grass type smirked and struggled to hold back his laughter at the same time as he saw his opponent, the tiny creature that was Emolga.

He was happy nonetheless, however, that he was able to participate in a gym battle once again. The goat glanced behind his shoulder and deadpanned, though, when he saw the expression of boredom plastered on his trainer's face.

"Emolga!" Clemont began as he threw his arm forward, "Let's start out with Quick Attack into Aerial Ace!" Emolga nodded in response and sped forward, gaining a burst of speed from Quick Attack. Then, the squirrel tucked in her wings and began to spin, adding extra streaks of light to the onslaught.

The dual type rocketed forward and rammed her grass type opponent with the powerful combination, causing Gogoat to skid backwards and grunt in pain.

"Seed Bomb," Tristan ordered flatly. Gogoat rolled his eyes and went on the offensive, drawing red energy into his leafy green coat. Moments later, three seeds were propelled from his back like fireworks and towards Emolga, but the electric type dodged the attack with ease.

Clemont adjusted his circular glass and pointed at Gogoat with a smirk.

"Another Quick Attack into Aerial Ace, then Volt Switch!" The Sky Squirrel Pokémon spoke up, acknowledging the order, and tucked in her wings a second time, rushing forward in an attempt to crush Gogoat. The Mount Pokémon's eyes widened in surprise as Emolga the speed bullet checked him, this time in the side, and sent him rolling along the gym floor.

Gogoat wheezed as he stumbled to his feet, clearly unable to handle the speed and power that Emolga was able to create in one swift movement. The confident Pokémon shook his head adamantly, however, refusing to back down to the tiny creature flying before him.

"Tristan, I could use some help over here!" Gogoat snapped. Tristan shrugged.

"Seed Bomb again, then," the teen iterated. Gogoat groaned in frustration, but performed the command nonetheless. His coat shone a dull red one again, and three explosive rounds were catapulted into the air, but Gogoat's nimble opponent easily dodged the attack. Emolga snickered as she suddenly vanished and appeared right before the grass type, electricity coursing through her veins.

Gogoat's eyes widened as Emolga unleashed a sphere of pure electricity at point blank. The forceful attack exploded and sent Gogoat rolling across the floor and into the wall with a thud. Meanwhile, Emolga suddenly disappeared into her Poké Ball and was replaced by a strange coalescence of three magnets.

"All right, Magneton!" Clemont shouted as he adjusted his eyeglasses again, "Don't let 'em breathe! Mirror Shot!" The magnet trio grunted and began to form a swirling ball of silver energy at its core. After a few seconds of charging power, Magneton released the attack like a cannonball, and it was heading straight towards Gogoat, who had just barely returned to the battlefield.

The grass type had no time to react and was pummeled by the potent attack, forcing him flat on his back. Gogoat coughed and rolled over, at a loss for words. He couldn't give up, not now! Despite the countless scratches and bruises covering his body, the goat refused to give up. Gogoat winced as he began to call his legs into action, but they gave out abruptly, and the resilient grass type crashed to the ground with swirls for eyes.

"Gogoat, return…" Tristan muttered, trying to erase what had happened from his mind.

"_Let's just get this over with," _thought the teen. The Kalosian plucked another Poké Ball from his belt.

"Diggersby, your turn." In a second flash of light, the bipedal bunny appeared out of thin air. Diggersby grinned and punched his fist-like ears together, excited for the battle ahead.

"Magneton, let's keep fighting! Mirror Shot!" Again, the steel type charged energy at its core and condensed it into one ball, firing it at high speeds towards Diggersby, who was able to dodge via Quick Attack.

"Run in with Quick Attack." Diggersby, seemingly oblivious to Tristan's lack of energy, sprinted forward towards Magneton, who floated in the air unflinchingly.

"Take it and dish out another Mirror Shot at point blank!" Clemont countered. As Diggersby leapt into the air to check his opponent, Magneton rammed into him with his metal body and knocked the ground type to the floor. Magneton hummed lowly and loosed another round of metallic energy at Diggersby, and the attack exploded on impact. Diggersby cried out in pain as he was sent soaring through the air.

The hare hit the battlefield with an audible smack, and Clemont and his Magneton winced in response. The event, however, elicited no response from Tristan. Clemont frowned when he saw this. Having had enough, the blue-clad gym leader recalled Magneton and raised his arms.

"With the authority invested in me as gym leader, I am ending this match due to the challenger's inability to fight effectively. Please, visit when you are more interested, perhaps." Tristan stared blankly at the gym leader, the one who had just ended his match. Deciding not to pursue the topic further, Tristan grumbled something unintelligible and recalled Diggersby, who was still in pain from Mirror Shot.

"Thank you for the gym battle, Clemont," Tristan said half-heartedly. Clemont, though not convinced, nodded his head and waved as the teen departed to the elevators dejectedly.

Tristan sighed on the way down from the fight. To say he had failed was a gross understatement.

"_Yeah, I'm out of here. Back to the Pokémon Center with me." _With his mind made up, Tristan spun on his heel and began to make strides towards the red-roofed building, never looking back.

**X – X – X – X**

Diggersby sighed and palmed his face.

"So, that idea didn't go so well…" the rabbit said, stating the obvious.

"We're aware of that, Diggersby," Gogoat responded. Greninja held up his hand between the two before they could begin to bicker.

"It's all right, guys. So, that idea may have flopped, but I have a different idea…" The dark type trailed off as he looked over his shoulder at his sleeping trainer.

"And hopefully this one will work."

**X – X – X – X**

**Well, that's the end of this chapter! It's awesome to think that this is the 3oth chapter. Hype! So, Tristan's still in a mood after the death of Chansey, and his team is brainstorming ways to cheer him up. A gym battle didn't work, so what else will? Maybe their next attempt will be more successful…**

**(If you want to know the levels of Pokémon, go see the crossover chapter I did with El Torro. Except remember that Chansey's not a thing anymore. :/)**

**So, I hope you all enjoyed. Adios!**


	31. Chapter 31 - Sand Castles

**Here we are! It's time for chapter 31, and I hope you all are excited. The last chapter was about Tristan's team trying to cheer their trainer up with a gym battle, but it clearly flopped. Now, Greninja has an idea that will work… hopefully. So, we'll see what happens.**

** Blaze Falcon – Yea, Chansey's passing is a shame. That's not something that somebody could get over too easily. Hopefully Greninja's plan will work, but we'll have to see. Also, that pun though. I'm the only one allowed to make those! XD Just kidding. Thanks for reviewing!**

** El Torro – I guess you can say that after the test you'll be history. :D Okay, that was a stretch. Anyway, Tristan's depression will linger for this chapter and one or two after (it might not seem like a long time, but remember that at least one day passes between these chapters, meaning that he'll eventually snap out of his depression after a week or so). I'm not afraid to spoil that part, as it's not exactly a spoiler. Boring battle is boring, but that was the point (which you picked up on). Thanks for the review! Chapter 30 hype!**

**So, let's jump into things! Once again, thank you all for sticking around for 30 chapters, and here's to 30 more. Here we go!**

**(A note before we start: I accidentally deleted the work that I had on this chapter, so I had to start over. Now I know a bit of what Torro feels).**

**X – X – X – X**

**Chapter 31 – Sand Castles**

Tristan remained still and sprawled out on his bed, feeling no motivation to move an inch. The teen yawned and lazily rolled over, burying his face in his pillow. Gogoat rolled his eyes at the action as he turned to face his fellow teammates.

"Ugh, he's been like this ever since we've gone to the gym!" Gogoat iterated without a translator. His teammates nodded solemnly.

"Yeah, he's been as downcast and disinterested as ever. Greninja, what ever happened to that glorious plan of yours?" Diggersby asked as he folded his arms. The amphibian exhaled and leaned up against the wall.

"I was hoping that we could catch Tristan in a better mood, but I don't think that's coming any time soon. I think we'll just have to drag him with us today," he responded. Manectric nodded.

"What is your plan, anyway? I don't think you told us." Greninja grinned and cracked his knuckles.

"I was thinking that we could head out to the desert to the north of here – at least, I think it's north." Gogoat deadpanned at this.

"Aannnd why are we going to an incredibly hot and dry area with nothing in it but sand?" the grass type questioned.

"Not just sand, Gogoat," Greninja explained as he emphasized his point via hand gestures, "There are also Pokémon." The water type's teammates grinned from ear to ear.

"I see your game now," Diggersby remarked with a chuckle, "And I'm ready to play."

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan groaned in frustration and muttered something unintelligible as he raised his hand to act as a visor over his eyes.

"Greninja, why are we here again?" the Kalosian wondered with a sigh. The frog merely shrugged, opting to leave his trainer in the dark on the reasoning behind the matter. Tristan shook his head at the response, shoved his free hand in his pocket, and continued trudging through the sand. After ten minutes of more uneventful hiking, Tristan caught a glimpse of a fairly large rock. The trainer raised his arms victoriously and jogged towards the inanimate object.

Greninja chuckled at his owner's eagerness to rest and raced after him. The two approached the rock and Tristan leaned up against it, with Greninja kneeling by his side. The frog glanced up after a few moments of silence to see Tristan gazing out at the sand dunes with a glassy look in his eyes.

"What's up?" Greninja asked, half expecting the fifteen-year-old to ignore him. Surprisingly enough, the brown haired teen reacted and turned to the water type.

"Still thinking about Chansey… I know it's been about half of a week, but you can't just get over something like that so easily, you know? When I started on this journey, I had this naïve idea that my journey would be pretty perfect and not riddled with hardships. That idea was wiped out like a bully kicking down a sand castle when I found out that Chansey passed on…" The teen muttered something again and quickly turned away from Greninja, using his sleeve to wipe his eyes. He let out a weak laugh.

"It's pathetic, I know," the teen muttered, his back still turned. Greninja shook his head vehemently, though the Kalosian never would have known.

"You can stop right there." The amphibian suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke and presented himself sitting before his trainer, who again paused to wipe a stray tear from his eyes.

"I'm not wrong, though," Tristan countered as he stared his amphibian ally down. Greninja once again shook his head vigorously, this time making sure that his trainer was able to see it.

"You are wrong, and I hope you won't make me get the rest of your Pokémon to prove it to you," the dark type responded adamantly. The Ninja Pokémon then snapped his fingers to the best of his ability, battling his trainer's emotions for attention.

"Look, I'm not going to sugarcoat this thing. Chansey's death is sad, there's no question. Grieving about it is natural, and there's nothing pathetic about it when you consider that she was close to us all. You'll only make things worse, however, if you beat yourself up over being 'pathetic', so you should cut that out. We _all _hate seeing you like this."

Tristan sighed yet again as he soaked up his starter's words like a sponge. The saddened teen rubbed the back of his head, still mulling over the words.

"I'll try," he said finally, "But I can't promise you anything." Greninja nodded slowly.

"That's all I can ask for, then… Come on, let's keep moving." Without another word being exchanged, Tristan hopped up with Greninja by his side, and the two resumed their trek through the desert.

**X – X – X – X**

Both trainer and Pokémon strode through the desert side by side as the wind howled and sand imbedded itself in Tristan's eyes. The only thing that matched the consistency of the airborne particles was Tristan's increasingly frustrated comments.

Still, despite the harsh conditions, the two pressed on aimlessly with no signs of slowing down. Several agonizing minutes passed before the gale dissipated, leaving two agitated and weary travellers.

"Oh how I hate this place. Can we go back to the city now?" Tristan inquired in exasperation. Greninja remained silent as he looked around frantically, causing Tristan to raise an eyebrow.

"What now?"

"We might have a problem…" Greninja responded as he gazed at the ground. His curiosity taking hold of him, Tristan turned his attention to the sandy terrain below him. In his shock, the teen fell backwards as his arms flailed wildly, something he would soon regret.

Greninja facepalmed as he witnessed his and his trainer's bodies slowly sink into the sand.

"How did we even get ourselves into this?" Tristan asked in a strangely calm manner as he struggled to free himself from his prison. Greninja shrugged to the best of his ability considering that half of his body was under the ground.

"I have no idea. I do know, however, that things won't be pretty if we can't get out," he shot back. Tristan sighed and began to kick his legs wildly, desperately trying anything and everything to free himself. The teen suddenly paused.

"Greninja?" the Kalosian said in an attempt to get his starter's attention.

"Yep?"

"I don't think there's anything under my feet." Greninja smiled at this information.

"Then that means that we're falling into an underground cavern or something… Lucky us." Tristan chuckled. He couldn't help but laugh at the strangely comical situation.

"I guess I'll see you on the other side, then."

The two nodded at each other before the sand engulfed them.

**X – X – X – X**

"Ugh…" Tristan sat up and rubbed his head. Particles of sand cascaded off of his body like water off of a cliff as he stood up swiftly and stumbled about, struggling to keep his balance.

"Greninja, are you there?" the teen inquired faintly as he continued rubbing his head. A distant groan caused Tristan's ears to perk up. The Kalosian spun around, trying his hardest to adjust to the endless darkness that surrounded him. Tristan's eyes became as round as saucers when a shadowy figure dropped down in front of him, and the trainer stumbled backward in a panic.

"Tristan, calm down! It's me." Tristan rolled his eyes as he steadied himself.

"Dang it, Greninja, don't scare me like that!" he chastised. The frog chuckled lowly enough that his trainer was unable to detect it.

"Sorry. Anyway, it looks like we're stuck in here for now… I noticed a few tunnels, however, that could take. Maybe, just maybe, they can lead us out of here." Tristan acknowledged the information with a nod, and he began to contemplate the water type's proposal as he stroked his nonexistent beard.

"It's better than nothing, I guess. There's a problem, however. I can't see anything!" he exclaimed. Tristan felt a swift movement by his side and heard the sound of a Poké Ball being snatched off of his belt. Moments later, a blinding flash of light greeted both trainer and Pokémon, and Tristan was thrown the ground forcefully soon after.

"Oh, I get it now. Hey, Manectric," he greeted with a chuckle. The canine licked his owner's face and hopped off of him as he thumped his tail against the ground.

"Your energy never fails, and I'm glad it doesn't…" Tristan chuckled lightly, stood up, wiped Manectric's slobber off of his face, and rubbed his energetic friend on the head.

"So, I guess you could light this place up, Manectric," Tristan ordered indirectly. The quadruped nodded and howled as he channeled the electricity stored within his body. Static surrounded the canine's frame, and it coalesced to form a coat of voltage that instantly lit up the area around them. The three grinned from ear to ear, glad to maintain their vision.

"We can get going now, right?" Manectric questioned uneasily, "I'd like to get out of here, like, now. This place is dark… and eerie. Did I forget to mention dark? Yeah, I wanna leave." Greninja and Tristan exchanged glances and laughed for a minute straight, making sport of their comrade's discomfort.

"Sorry Manectric, but that was slightly humorous. Anyway, I agree. Let's get going," Greninja proposed. Tristan began to take strides forward, glancing back only to wave his two powerhouses on.

"Come on, you two, the sooner we exit the better." The fifteen year old continued his trek, blissfully unaware that his two allies were not following him. Manectric turned to the amphibian beside him.

"It looks like he's cheering up ever so slightly, don't you think, Greninja?" The water type in question smiled.

"It seems so, my friend, it seems so… Let's get going." The Ninja Pokémon ceased the conversation abruptly and sprinted ahead after Tristan; Manectric was not far behind.

**X – X – X – X**

"How long has it been since we started searching? I wanna get outta here," Manectric whined. The canine's response was a reassuring pat on the head from Tristan.

"Don't worry about it, Manectric. If you'd like to return to your Poké Ball, you can," the teen offered. The energetic creature shook his head.

"I'll deal with it. Plus, you need a light source." Tristan shrugged.

"You have a point. Thanks, Manectric." Following the comment, all was silent. The posse carried on through the narrow underground tunnel that they had found themselves in, gazing in a mixture of awe and concern at the numerous holes that littered the walls and ceiling.

The holes were strangely large – perhaps two feet tall. In the back of his mind, Tristan wondered how the walls still remained in tact despite the sheer number of openings that existed. The trainer was drawn from his ruminations when Manectric's voice pierced the silence.

"Uh, what's that thing? It looks so cool!" the electric type exclaimed. Tristan shuffled past his two teammates in curiosity, and suddenly found himself in a large, open room with ridiculously lofty ceilings.

In the middle of the room was a grandiose structure made of sand. The complex building commanded the attention of the three in the room, and Tristan couldn't help but stare in awe.

"That's the most insane sand castle I've ever seen," the fifteen year old remarked. The creatures beside him nodded slowly in agreement.

"What I want to know is how this was made," Greninja admitted as he took a seat in the sand. Tristan opened his mouth to form a response when Manectric abruptly crouched and snarled wildly. The dog then transitioned into a fit of mad barking, concerning Tristan and Greninja both.

"What's wrong, Manectric?" the Kalosian asked worriedly. Tristan received a tap on the arm from Greninja.

"We're not alone, it seems." The response did not sit well with the trainer, who began to comb the room over visually. The teen's blue eyes widened when he saw a continuous stream of orange flowing from the main door of the massive sand castle in the middle of the room. Tristan scrambled for his Pokédex, hoping that the device could provide insight.

The electronic screen flashed to life and began to scan the orange mass outside of the castle. The Pokédex beeped and began to speak in a robotic voice.

"**Trapinch, the Ant Pit Pokémon. It makes an inescapable conical pit and lies in wait at the bottom for prey to come tumbling down.**" Tristan nodded approvingly and pocketed his Pokédex.

"I'm not going to lie, that's kind of cool. I guess these Trapinch form a colony that lives in this castle here." Manectric, however, did not share his trainer's sense of wonder, and instead continued to snarl at the colony of ant-like creatures that were slowly encroaching upon them.

The moving body of Trapinch continued to advance, but suddenly came to a stop twenty feet away from the trio. A lone Trapinch, one who appeared to be fiercer than the rest, stepped forward and barked something. Greninja stepped forward calmly and, switching his translator off, entered a conversation with the Ant Pit Pokémon.

A minute of back and forth discussion passed before Greninja nodded and returned to Tristan's side. The dark type flipped his translator back on.

"As I'm sure you already know, these Trapinch live here. But, they don't appreciate the fact that we've basically invaded their territory. So, the leader of the Trapinch says that they are up for a battle. But, they posed interesting terms." Tristan raised an eyebrow, wondering what could be so unique about the terms of the possible encounter.

"Those terms are…?" the teen interrogated. Greninja glanced back at the army of ants behind him.

"If we lose to that Trapinch in a battle, they'll basically attack us until we exit their territory. If we win, however, they'll allow us to leave in peace," the frog explained. Tristan deadpanned.

"That doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it's better than nothing. Besides, Greninja, we won't lose." Tristan's trusted water started smirked at the declaration.

"_He's becoming more confident now. Good, good._" Greninja then turned back to the leader of the Trapinch and nodded as he pointed to himself. The orange ant-like creature nodded solemnly and turned to the army behind them before crying out loudly. As they shouted, the rest of the Trapinch backed away, leaving enough room for the ensuing battle. Tristan grinned as he observed the leader crouch down and prepare for battle.

"Greninja, I guess you're up for this one! Water Pulse, go!" Greninja nodded quickly and sprinted forward at astonishing speeds, already gathering the aquatic energy in his palm. The Ninja Pokémon slammed the super effective attack into Trapinch's body in the blink of an eye, sending the Ant Pit Pokémon rolling across the ground. Trapinch grunted and hopped back to its feet before fading from view. Tristan and Greninja looked around in confusion.

"Where did it…?" The teen's inquiries were answered when Trapinch seemed to materialize from nowhere and slam into Greninja's back while covered in pitch-black energy. Greninja grunted in pain but shrugged off the attack, sprinted behind Trapinch, and responded with a swift Water Pulse to the back. Yet again, the ground type was sent soaring through the air. Trapinch hit the ground with a thud despite the sand that cushioned the blow.

"Great job, Greninja!" Tristan congratulated, assuming that the battle was over. The teen, getting ahead of himself, gave his starter a congratulatory pat on the back. He was shocked greatly when he witnessed Trapinch throw its head upwards and scream as it was enveloped in a brilliant while light.

The ground type's body became more elongated and a lighter color, and it also grew a set of green wings on its back. Two antennae at the top of its skull twitched periodically as the new creature observed its surroundings. Tristan fished his Pokédex back from his pocket to scan Trapinch's new form.

"**Vibrava, the Vibration Pokémon. By flapping their wings, they create vibrations, emitting ultrasonic waves.**" Tristan grinned as the winged creature stood up and shook itself off, uttering something to Greninja. The frog smirked.

"Bring it," the amphibian said in response. With a nod, Vibrava crouched down and forcefully shoved off of the ground with its legs, making a beeline towards Greninja. Without warning, however, the dragonfly faded from view.

Before Tristan could attempt to counter the sudden move, Vibrava materialized from out of nowhere and rammed into Greninja, sending the powerful Pokémon tumbling in the sand. The surprise attack was potent enough to keep the Ninja Pokémon down for a few seconds, giving Vibrava an opening on a silver platter. The dragonfly flapped its wings vigorously and shot into the air with great speed, wowing Tristan.

"Dodge with Shadow Sneak!" the teen commanded. Greninja nodded and, shining a dull gray color, melted into the ground away from Vibrava. However, the wild Pokémon concocted a counter to the evasive move with celerity. The dragonfly dove to the ground with a victorious cry and caused the terrain to shake violently upon impact, resulting in a large pillar of dirt slamming into Greninja and removing him from his sandy shelter.

The shiny Pokémon grunted in pain as he flew into the air, dazed from the powerful Earthquake Vibrava had dished out. The dragonfly smirked and raced through the air towards Greninja while coated in darkness, intent on crushing his opponent. Seeing this caused Tristan to smirk, mirroring his ground type opponent.

"Aaaand Lick into Water Pulse," the teen instructed casually. Greninja's eyes flashed open upon hearing the command and righted himself midair. The frog's tongue extended outwards in the blink of an eye and wrapped itself around Vibrava. In another split second, the amphibian reeled his tongue inward, dragging his insect opponent towards him. Greninja prepared a sphere of water energy in his hand as Vibrava was drawn in towards him like a fish on a line.

The frog threw his arm forward and delivered a vicious right hook to Vibrava's cranium, and the Vibration Pokémon spiraled at a ridiculous velocity into the sand. Greninja landed on the ground gracefully and assumed his regular battle stance. He relaxed, however, when he realized that Vibrava was unmoving. Tristan nodded approvingly.

"Thank you, Greninja, excellent work." The Kalosian then rummaged through his backpack and located the item that he was looking for: a Full Restore. Calmly, Tristan knelt by Vibrava and sprayed the downed creature with the manufactured medicine in his hand. Vibrava's eyes flashed open, startled by the sudden rush of energy that it felt. The dragonfly stood up in curiosity. Why would Tristan help them? The Vibration Pokémon shrugged and turned around to face its colony, but was met with an unexpected happening.

The sea of Trapinch were whispering among themselves and glancing at Vibrava periodically. They turned their noses up with looks of disgust and, nodding back towards the castle, spun around and trudged away. Vibrava gazed at the mob of creatures that were leaving it in the dust. Downcast, the ground type frowned and slumped in the sand with a sigh.

"Greninja, what's up with Vibrava? What just happened?" Greninja shrugged and turned his translator off before approaching the dejected dragonfly. Vibrava looked up at the powerful water type and mumbled something inquisitively. The two initiated a conversation almost immediately. Greninja frowned and shook his head in disappointment as the ground type spoke. Moments later, Greninja turned towards his trainer and switched his translator to the on position.

"So?" Tristan quizzed briefly.

"Vibrava's colony abandoned her because she evolved in an attempt to win the fight. In their minds, having to evolve to win shows weakness. Also, apparently they'll kick you out if you're not a Trapinch." Tristan clenched his fists and shook his head in disapproval.

"That's not fair in any way, shape, or form! It's plain stupid, in fact." The teen muttered something as he turned his attention to his backpack. Tristan rummaged through the bag momentarily before focusing on Vibrava. The teen grinned.

"Hey, Vibrava, do you mind wearing this?" he inquired as he handed the dragonfly a translator. The ground type glanced at the device skeptically and backed away, but reluctantly accepted the offer when Greninja nodded and pointed to the same device around his own neck. The translator was strapped around her neck.

"Hello, is this thing on?" she wondered aloud before flinching at the sound of her voice. Tristan and his two Pokémon chuckled at the dragonfly's reaction.

"Geez, that's kinda weird…" the Pokémon mumbled. Tristan shrugged.

"It takes a bit to get used to, yeah. Anyway, I couldn't help but hear about what happened. Personally, I think they're totally wrong. Scratch that, I know they're wrong. You're strong, Vibrava, and I want you to join me. What do you say?" The proposal caught her off guard.

"A-Are you sure?" Tristan nodded emphatically.

"Positive." Vibrava smiled slightly.

"Sure, I'd like that." Tristan, Manectric and Greninja grinned, and the teen pressed a Poké Ball to Vibrava's head. She was zapped inside the spherical device instantly. The Poké Ball wobbled several times before ceasing movement. Tristan tossed the Poké Ball into the air soon after, allowing his new friend to have some air. Tristan knelt down and gave Vibrava a pat on the head.

"So, what do you say we get back above ground? We kinda got lost, if you can't tell." Vibrava laughed at the comment and fluttered forward.

"Yeah, that's easily fixed. It's this way." Tristan pumped his fist victoriously.

"_This day turned out to be pretty good after all, if you ask me. Pretty good indeed."_

**X – X – X – X**

**But wait, the chapter's dead. Shia surprise! :O**

**Well, the chapter's over! I hope you all enjoyed it. Yes, I did take longer than I wanted to post it, but I'm still dealing with Wi-Fi issues. (Also, this chapter was 2-3 times longer than the usual. XD) But, I think it turned out well!**

**1-New teammate hype? (Bascially: Vibrava hype? As of right now, do you like her? I know you don't know much yet, but what do you think so far?)**

**2-I'm not sure who it was, but I told someone that Tristan wouldn't catch a dragon type. Well, that was before I decided that Tristan would catch a Vibrava (it was originally supposed to be Trapinch).**

**I hope you all enjoyed! Thanks for reading!**


	32. Chapter 32 - A Shocking Showdown

**Holy crap! Guys, we're back! X3 Also, I just noticed something… At the end of this chapter, my story will reach 100k words, and we might be able to break 100 reviews on this story in the same chapter. That would be hype. Anyways, on to the story related stuff.**

**In the last chapter, we saw Tristan and Greninja roaming around in the desert. The two managed to land themselves in an underground network of tunnels and in the middle of a Trapinch colony. The leader fought Greninja and lost, and was kicked out for being "too weak" and also for evolving during the match. But, Tristan decided to catch Vibrava and add her to the team, seeing that she was a capable fighter.**

**So, what's in store? Well, I'll say this: Gym battle hype. But first, it's review time. (There are more than I'm used to, which is amazing. Thanks, guys).**

** FinLay Real – Thank you! I can say, too, that the story has improved. Your writing tends to get better as you age, even if it's only a few months (picking up on some more vocab, etc.). Once again, thanks for the compliments. The characters are supposed to be unique, and you haven't seen the plot's final form yet, so just wait. :P (Sorry about Chansey, but it had to be done!) Thanks for reviewing!**

** MysticBeatz21 – I'm glad you liked it! Vibrava may or may not be Fortis 2.0; you'll have to find out! Thanks for the review!**

** Avian (guest?) – I'm glad you're enjoying it! Thanks for the kind words. Yes, Chansey's death is unfortunate to say the least but, as the song goes, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. (Which, if you think about it, isn't entirely true). Anyways, Tristan will bounce back from it soon enough, though not completely. Vibrava hype. I appreciate the review, thank you. :)**

** Blaze Falcon – Tristan's pretty close to being back, yes. Vibrava will be a key asset in some fights, but nobody on his Kalos team will be able to replace Chansey. Many thanks for the review, sir!**

** Warrior of Hope – Vibrava! YES! XD She'll be useful in some fights, as you'll see in this chapter. Tristan's pretty much good to go now, which is a good thing. Thanks for the review!  
**

** El Torro – The Vibrava is upon us. But you are correct, in a way. That chapter is supposed to contrast its predecessor in terms of seriousness, with it being less weighted. (Meds tho). As for Vibrava being Fortis 2.0, well, you'll have to find out. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Wow, that was awesome. Thanks again for the support, everyone. Chapter time! Also, I apologize in advance for the title. XD**

**X – X – X – X**

**Chapter 32 – A Shocking Showdown**

Dash and Monica eyed each other before focusing on the trainer before them, incredulity evident on their faces.

"You're doing what?" Dash questioned. Tristan smiled briefly.

"I'm going to go win my next badge. What about it?" he responded. Monica folded her hands and set them in her lap.

"Well, we didn't think you would rebound so soon, to be honest," the blond admitted bluntly. Tristan chuckled.

"Neither did I! You can thank Greninja for that. I swear that frog is a lot wiser than he looks." Monica and Dash chuckled.

"So what did Greninja do?" Monica pressed on, hoping for an answer. Tristan leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes, having just woken up. The teen opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a lengthy yawn. He shook his head vigorously in an attempt to wake up.

"It all happened yesterday. You see, Greninja and I had just returned to the Pokémon Center after a long day in the desert…"

**-Flashback-**

Tristan sighed and flopped on his bed face first. A familiar chuckle was heard as the sound of the door being shut echoed through the room.

"Tired?" Greninja wondered as he sat cross-legged on the floor. The amphibian noticed his trainer nod his head despite it being eclipsed by his pillow.

"Walking in the desert for a long time will do that to you. But hey, you caught Vibrava, right? I think that's worth it," opined the water type as he closed his eyes to meditate. Tristan mumbled as he turned over.

"I guess so, but…" Greninja opened his eyes at this.

"But?"

"Nobody can replace Chansey, that's all." Greninja exhaled and hopped onto Tristan's bed, startling the moping trainer.

"There's nothing we can do about her now, Tristan. You might not like it, but Chansey laid down her life in exchange for yours. I wouldn't waste this second chance by moping about it," the dark type stated wisely.

"You're a fan of didacticism, aren't you?" Tristan shot back jokingly. His starter smirked beneath his scarf.

"You know you love it. I'm serious, though. Chansey gave you another chance at a happy life, and you're wasting that opportunity." Tristan shook his head and rolled off of the bed, making sure to land on his feet. He faced Greninja with a look of utmost seriousness.

"I've said it once and I'll say it again: This isn't something you just get over, Greninja. Chansey **died**, and now she's gone."

"I never said you had to get over it, Tristan. Most people can't get a pain like this out of their minds so easily, but over time the pain can lessen. I'm not asking you to act like it never happened, but I AM asking you to stop wallowing in your unhappiness. Chansey wanted you to be cheerful, and so does everyone else. I hope you understand that."

Greninja leapt off of the bed and returned to his seat on the floor, his monologue complete. He crossed his legs once again and closed his eyes.

"That's my two cents for the day. Just… consider it." Speechless, Tristan flopped on his bed yet again while staring at the ceiling.

Many minutes of silence passed before someone spoke up.

"Greninja?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks." Both Pokémon and trainer smiled genuinely.

"Any time."

**-End Flashback-**

Tristan slammed his palms on the table and stood up abruptly, not giving Monica or Dash a chance to react to the tale.

"Well, story time's over! I'm getting that gym badge no matter what!" the Kalosian bragged. Monica stifled a laugh as the teen strode confidently out the door.

"It's good to see him back," Monica remarked.

"Heck yeah it is." Dash responded with a wide grin before standing up and pursuing Tristan.

**X – X – X – X**

Three creatures sat on the ground in front of Tristan, two of them with looks of eagerness and the third with a look of confusion. Vibrava stood alone while Diggersby and Gogoat stood beside each other.

"When we walk through this door, we're getting ourselves into a fight for my fifth gym badge. Are you three ready?" Tristan interrogated.

Gogoat and Diggersby smirked and nodded. However, Vibrava tilted her head to the side.

"You want me to fight?" she asked. Tristan nodded.

"Of course! I know I just caught you yesterday, but I'm confident in your abilities. If you're not comfortable, though, I'll use somebody else." Vibrava pondered the offer before shaking her head spiritedly.

"I'll do it," the dragonfly said with a grin. Tristan mirrored the ground type's facial expression.

"Great. Let's go." In multiple flashes of light, the three teammates were returned to their spherical homes, leaving Tristan, Monica and Dash by themselves. The three teens stepped through the large door before them into a room at the top of Prism Tower. Dash and Monica fled to the bleachers on the sideline as Tristan entered the trainer box.

"Ah, you've returned, I see," Clemont remarked, memories of his previous encounter with Tristan fresh in his mind.

"Oh yeah. This battle won't be the same as last time, I can guarantee it." The tone behind his voice, one that had been nonexistent for the past few days, was an excited one, and every person in the room smiled at the welcome change.

"Very well, then. Emolga, let's shock their systems!" Tristan rolled his eyes at the pun but smiled as he plucked a Poké Ball off of his belt and tossed it onto the battlefield.

"Vibrava, let's do this!" The Vibration Pokémon materialized onto the battlefield and, despite having never been in a formal battle, cracked her neck and flapped her wings vigorously.

_There's her somewhat confident wild Pokémon mentality, I suppose._

Tristan was broken out of his train of thought when Clemont's voice filled the room.

"Emolga, Aerial Ace plus Quick Attack!" he barked. The flying squirrel nodded and tucked its wings in. The tiny Pokémon sped forward as lengthy white streaks surrounded its body, which was a testament to its speed.

"Bug Buzz shield!" Tristan countered quickly. Vibrava nodded and began to move its wings at an increasingly quick pace, causing waves of sound to radiate from her body. Emolga, not picking up on the defensive move, zipped forward and crashed into the waves of sound. The electric type fell to the ground while clutching its head in pain.

"Now, Rock Slide!" Tristan continued aggressively. Vibrava hummed as several massive chunks of rock floated around her body. With a loud cry, the objects were flung into the air before they crumbled into small bits and pieces. The jagged stones rained from the sky and pelted the electric type, who screamed in pain as the sharp objects stabbed her. Clemont panicked.

"Volt Switch!" he cried out desperately, forgetting Vibrava's type. Emolga obeyed and fought through the pain that threatened to overwhelm her. She zoomed away from the super effective attack and condensed electricity into a sphere, which she flung forcefully at Vibrava.

"Charge through Volt Switch and at Emolga!" Tristan commanded.

Clemont facepalmed at his mistake and observed the battle in awe as Vibrava soared through the air like an eagle, bypassing the electric attack with ease.

"Meet Vibrava head on Quick Attack plus Aerial Ace!" The gym leader instructed, struggling to think of a counter. Vibrava continued to soar through the air, but was shocked when Emolga's speed increased to that of a cannonball.

"Feint Attack, hurry!" Emolga, who was enveloped in streaks of white, sped towards Vibrava, who cloaked herself in pitch-black energy. The two were destined to collide, and they did.

The two creatures met midair with a powerful head-butt, but neither flinched as they struggled to prove their strength. Suddenly, in a huge shift of power, Emolga shoved Vibrava to the side and spiked the dragonfly into the gym floor.

"Vibrava?" Tristan called out, wondering if his newest addition to the team was injured. Silence ensued until Vibrava muttered something and trudged out the crater created by Emolga's attack; her body had attained numerous scrapes from the impact. Tristan grinned at the dragon type's resiliency.

"We'll keep fighting, then! Rock Slide!"

"Dodge it!" Clemont shouted urgently. Yet again, a seemingly endless stream of rocks rained from the ceiling like meteors, but Emolga was able to weave through the projectiles with ease. Then, as if the flying squirrel was able to communicate telepathically with her trainer, Emolga rushed forward and crushed Vibrava with Aerial Ace.

"Crap! Vibrava!" The dragonfly's wings twitched as she rested on the floor, and she panted heavily from the damage she had sustained during the fight. Vibrava struggled to stand.

"Vibrava, rest for now," Tristan decided suddenly. With a nod, the dragon type crept over to the sidelines and flopped next to her trainer, still able to fight but clearly lacking in energy. Tristan snapped a second Poké Ball off of his belt.

"Gogoat, show them what you've got!" Tristan grinned as Gogoat dropped onto the battlefield and widened his stance, ready for battle. The grass type growled at Emolga, causing the electric type to snicker and stick her tongue out. Memories of his previous encounter with Emolga passed through his mind. This time would be different, right?

"Gogoat, this time will be different, I know it," Tristan assured the grass type as if he was a psychic. Gogoat smirked.

"Close the gap with Aerial Ace, Emolga!" Clemont barked aggressively, knowing that a Pokémon such as Gogoat would have difficulty keeping pace with Emolga.

"Use Seed Bomb to intercept!" Tristan shouted as he pointed a finger at Emolga. Gogoat's leafy coat shone a dull red, and the grass type rocketed three massive seeds into the air. One of the projectiles soared through the air and crashed into Emolga, who had not braced herself for impact. The flying squirrel took the hit directly and began to spiral towards the gym floor as smoke trailed her.

Tristan grinned. It was time to be unconventional.

"Now, body slam Emolga!" Gogoat sprinted forward at the still falling electric type. The grass type chuckled under his breath as he launched himself into the air and positioned his body over Emolga. The goat then allowed gravity to take its course, and the result caused Clemont the gasp.

"Emolga!" the blond cried in concern. The gym leader stared at the middle of the battlefield as Gogoat stood up, cracked his neck, and waltzed away from Emolga with a smug look plastered on his countenance. Emolga resided in a small crater created by the force of Gogoat's attack, and she twitched slightly before closing her eyes.

"Emolga, return." Clemont thanked the electric type as he clipped her Poké Ball to his belt. Despite Emolga's defeat, the gym leader grinned.

"You're doing much better. But, we'll see how you compete with Magneton again!" Clemont tossed another Poké Ball onto the battlefield with vigor, and revealed the steel type he had referred to. Magneton buzzed excitedly and rotated the magnets on the sides of its body, ready for battle.

"Gogoat, start out with Bulldoze!" Tristan ordered, hoping that going on the offensive would work out for him. Clemont shook his head with a smile.

"Blast through it with Mirror Shot!" Magneton focused an intense sphere of shining energy at its core before propelling it towards Gogoat's attack at a high speed. The steel move crashed easily through the stone pillars created by the Bulldoze attack and slammed into Gogoat's face, forcing the arrogant Pokémon on his back.

"Gogoat, retreat for now," Tristan instructed, waving the grass type to his side. Gogoat flashed his trainer a confused look, but obeyed nonetheless. Had he done something wrong? He wasn't losing, so what was it? Tristan knelt down as Gogoat approached his side.

"I'll be saving you for a bit later, Gogoat. I did some research on Clemont's last Pokémon, and I figured you would be able to take it on." The teen grinned, patted Gogoat on the head and stood up, having reassured the previously concerned grass type.

"Vibrava, back to you!" The Kalosian glanced down at the dragon type by his side and smiled, filling Vibrava with courage. The ground type stepped onto the battlefield and began to flap her wings, appearing to be less weary than before.

"Vibrava won't slow us down, not today! Magneton, Mirror Shot!" Clemont barked.

"Up!" Tristan countered quickly. Vibrava slammed her feet against the ground and leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding the powerful steel type move sent her way.

"Now Feint Attack!" Vibrava suddenly faded from view and soared through the air, invisible. Without warning, the dragon type materialized next to Magneton's body and checked the steel type with great force. Magneton was thrown violently to the gym floor and his face was smashed into it, creating cracks. The stealthy attack had caught him and his trainer off guard.

"Earthquake!" Tristan hollered. He wouldn't give Clemont a chance to counter so easily. Vibrava smirked and dove straight down. With a triumphant cry, the dragonfly smashed the ground with her feet, causing shockwaves to ripple through the entirety of Prism Tower.

The super effective attack kicked up large columns or dirt that were scattered across the room, and one of them struck Magneton directly. The electric type, who had been struggling to dodge the attack at Clemont's urgent plea, soared through the air and then hit the ground a second time with his eyes screwed shut. Clemont had to stop himself from dropping his jaw.

"Magneton, return," the Lumiose City leader called out as he held up a Poké Ball, "Now, I must say, Tristan, that I am impressed so far. This battle is a thousand times better than what you gave me last time. But, you've yet to see my ace in the hole, so to speak. Heliolisk, let's show them watt's up!" Tristan found himself chuckling at the electric-based pun, but his smile faded when Clemont's powerhouse emerged on the battlefield with a loud screech.

Heliolisk was a yellow, bipedal lizard with a black head and neck. The creature sported piercing blue eyes as well as a frill around its neck that resembled a sun. Its long tail thumped against Prism Tower's metal floor idly. The Generator Pokémon's presence exuded power, to say nothing of its skills in battle.

Clemont grinned and pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose.

"Heliolisk, Dragon Tail!" he screamed. The reptile hissed and sprinted forward as his tail harbored a cyan sheen. Heliolisk neared Vibrava in the blink of an eye and clubbed the dragon type in an instant.

The shockingly potent attack shot Vibrava into the wall behind her with great intensity, leaving the dragonfly to fall limply to the floor. She disappeared into her Poké Ball. Tristan scratched his head and sighed.

"Diggersby, it's your time to shine, I suppose." With a flick of his wrist, Tristan tossed the rabbit's capture device onto the battlefield. Diggersby materialized suddenly with a grin already apparent on his visage. The normal type folded his arms and punched his fist-like ears together.

"Quick Attack, Heliolisk!" Clemont barked rapidly, still attempting to apply pressure. Heliolisk did just that and sprinted forward like an Olympian as white streaks trailed his body.

"Match him!" Tristan countered just as aggressively as Clemont. Diggersby, too, dashed forward, albeit a bit slower than Heliolisk. The two combatants met in the middle of the gym floor and crashed into each other, causing a shockwave to ripple through the air from the power.

Both normal types grunted and shoved each other back and forth, but they refused to back down. They were in a deadlock, but that was before Clemont had an epiphany.

"Trip him with your tail and then Quick Attack again!" he ordered strategically. Diggersby's eyes widened along with Tristan's when Heliolisk suddenly ducked down and swept Diggersby off of his feet with his tail. As the rabbit was falling, Heliolisk stepped forward swiftly and threw his shoulder into Diggersby's stomach.

Diggersby rolled across the battlefield, clutching his stomach. He stood up with a grimace and one hand still holding his abdomen.

"Hang in there a bit longer, Diggersby, and we can end this efficiently. Quick Attack and Return!" With a nod, the Digging Pokémon rushed forward as Return's blue aura encapsulated his body. He almost seemed to roar as he advanced upon his reptilian opponent.

"Nice try! Grass Knot!" The unexpected move was so sudden that Diggersby had no time to react. Heliolisk flashed green for a split second, and two, sturdy blades of grass burst from the ground a second later in front of Diggersby's feet.

The rabbit's momentum carried him into the almost unnoticeable attack and Diggersby's face smacked against the ground with enough power that you could hear it echo. Tristan, Dash, Monica and even Clemont winced from the painful-looking event.

"Sorry about this, but use Dragon Tail, Heliolisk!" The Generator Pokémon grunted in acknowledgment and sprinted forward with a loud hiss, his tail regaining its cyan hue. Heliolisk leapt into the air and began to spin like a wheel.

"Diggersby, you've got to get up!" Tristan shouted urgently. The Kalosian picked up on faint movement from the rabbit, but Diggersby was too dazed to move completely.

A resounding smack was heard throughout the gym; it was the sound of Heliolisk's tail connecting with Diggersby's cranium. A wide-eyed Tristan returned Diggersby.

"Heliolisk is powerful, that's for sure…" he muttered to himself. Tristan shook his head and switched the Poké Ball in his hand. The one Poké Ball he held contained the one Pokémon left that could win the battle for him.

"Gogoat, let's do this!" The spherical device that contained the grass type flew into the air and spun multiple times before opening with a crack and a flash of light. Gogoat materialized suddenly and eyed his reptilian opponent, choosing not to smirk when he realized that Heliolisk was a serious contender.

"Gogoat, I'm going to need you to work your butt off, okay?" The cocky Pokémon nodded.

"Great! Bulldoze!" Gogoat raised his legs almost immediately and slammed his hooves on the gym floor, causing yet another crack to snake its way towards Clemont's Pokémon.

"Dodge and zap 'em!" Heliolisk sprinted away from the relatively slow attack and straight towards the Mount Pokémon as sparks crawled over his scaly body. Before Gogoat could blink a second time, Heliolisk screeched and unleashed a powerful, crackling bolt of electricity his way.

The grass type took the jolting attack head on and grunted in pain. Smoke arose from his body, but the grass type shook off the damage because of his built-in type resistance.

"Gogoat, use Bulk Up!" Gogoat nodded to display recognition and tensed his muscles as an intense crimson aura masked his body for a brief moment. The Mount Pokémon smirked when his stats were increased to add to his power. Gogoat swiped his hoof on the ground tauntingly.

"We'll give the goat what he wants, Heliolisk! Use Quick Attack!" Tristan grinned.

"I say we use Grass Knot!" Gogoat snickered as he channeled energy into the ground, causing sturdy blades of grass to appear around Heliolisk's feet as a result. Unable to prevent the attack, the speeding electric found himself tripping over the blades of grass. His face met the floor.

"Get up, Heliolisk!" Clemont urged as he adjusted his glasses.

"Not on our watch! Bulldoze!" The Generator Pokémon, who was attempting to push his body off of the ground, was slammed in the jaw by the ground type move and rocketed into the air. Heliolisk was now airborne, leaving him wide open.

"Seed Bomb!" The projectiles launched from Gogoat's leafy coat whistled as they soared into the air. Two of the explosives drifted away and detonated midair, but the third managed to stay on target and neared Gogoat's reptilian opponent. Clemont's brain went into overdrive as he struggled to think of a counter to the move that Heliolisk would be unable to dodge.

"Smack it back with Dragon Tail!" the gym leader barked suddenly with a snap of his fingers. His ace nodded and began to spin like a wheel, his tail radiating with power. Heliolisk grunted as his energy-coated tail made contact with Seed Bomb, and he spiked the grass type attack into the ground at intense speeds.

Gogoat's eyes widened along with Tristan's at the swift counter, and both trainer and Pokémon found themselves unable to react as Gogoat's own attack soared right back at him.

The power behind Seed Bomb as well as the increased speed courtesy of Heliolisk made for a potent combination, and Seed Bomb blew up in Gogoat's face. The arrogant creature's usually permanent smirk faded as he began to cough wildly due to the smoke surrounding his frame.

"Thunderbolt!" Clemont continued his aggressive calls, not planning to let Tristan or Gogoat breathe at all. Heliolisk nodded an unleashed the electricity stored in his body in the form of a beam, which collided with Gogoat. However, the electric type move seemed to deal very little damage, making the lizard frown in disappointment.

"Hang in there, Gogoat! Seed Bomb again!"

"Shoot it down with Thunderbolt!" The two attacks soared through the air and collided continuously. Multiple explosions shook the air as Gogoat and Heliolisk attacked unceasingly. Monica gazed in awe at the spectacle, but Dash shook his head.

"What's that look for?" the blond inquired as the intense display of power continued.

"Tristan is fighting a losing battle, Monica. Gogoat can't match Heliolisk's speed or ranged abilities. He might not recognize that, but it's the truth," the dark skinned teen answered bluntly. Monica shrugged and folded her arms as she observed Gogoat crash to the ground after taking a Quick Attack from Heliolisk.

"Tristan's on his last legs, but so is Clemont. We'll see how this plays out," Monica finally answered. Dash glanced at the girl and nodded before turning his attention to the battlefield. He was just in time to see Tristan forced to play defensively.

"Bulk Up!" The teen cried out hastily as Heliolisk relentlessly bashed Gogoat's body with his tail. The grass type's increased defensive capabilities still did little to mitigate his lightning fast opponent's damage output. The Mount Pokémon let out a soft cry of pain as Heliolisk checked his body.

Gogoat stumbled to the side and shook his head vigorously; he was struggling to find balance.

"Again, Heliolisk, but add Dragon Tail into the mix!" The electric type paused to crack his neck before sprinting at his much slower adversary. He ruthlessly pummeled the goat, zooming around him as if he were an annoying fly. Suddenly, Heliolisk's tail garnered an intense sheen, and the lizard hopped up.

Having been on the defensive constantly for the past few minutes, Tristan concocted a counter with celerity.

"Down, then Seed Bomb!" With a swing of his tail, Heliolisk the leaping lizard struck. But, the surprised lizard only stuck air, as Gogoat had ducked under the Dragon Tail attack. Gogoat snickered and catapulted three explosive rounds from his leafy green coat; all three collided with Heliolisk and exploded violently.

Heliolisk screamed from the blunt force and flew through the air, eventually flopping on the ground. Smoke arose from his body, and the lizard twitched in pain due to the multiple bruises that spotted his scaly body.

Gogoat was worse for wear. The cocky creature had collapsed on the floor. Smoke, too, rose from his frame. Blood dripped down the side of his head and his fur was flattened by sweat. The grass type clenched his teeth and struggled to get up. His eyes locked with Heliolisk's; the lizard was attempting the same thing.

Gogoat mustered what strength he could and roared – or as close as he could get to one. The grass type collapsed immediately after. Tristan, speechless, recalled Gogoat to his Poké Ball.

He lost… again? This time was supposed to be different, wasn't it?

Tristan replayed the battle in his head, staring Heliolisk in the eyes all the while. Where had he gone wrong?

He had sent Vibrava to combat Emolga, but the flying squirrel's acrobatic antics proved to be difficult, so he switched to Gogoat, who managed to net a knockout. He then called Vibrava back, and her ability to outpace and overpower Magneton earned her the win fairly easily. Heliolisk, however, managed to eliminate Diggersby AND Gogoat, as well as take on Vibrava.

Tristan shook his head as he replayed Vibrava taking a Dragon Tail to the face over and over again. The thought of Dragon Tail was cause enough to make Tristan freeze. A grin crept across the Kalosian's face.

"Vibrava, please hold on." The teen whispered to himself as he reached for the dragon type's Poké Ball. With a flick of his wrist, Tristan tossed Vibrava's Poké Ball onto the battlefield.

The dragonfly appeared on the battlefield and immediately eyed Heliolisk. Vibrava gulped when she finally fathomed the reptile's strength. Clemont, however, was more confused than anything.

"Vibrava's still in?" he inquired. Tristan's grin grew even wider.

"Yep! I forgot that Dragon Tail causes an auto-switch. When Vibrava returned to her Poké Ball, I didn't do it, which means that she was forced out by Dragon Tail. It seems that the match continues for a bit longer, Clemont!" The Lumiose leader laughed at the proclamation.

"I suppose so! May the best desert dweller win, then! Quick Attack, Heliolisk!" Tristan sprang into overdrive as soon as Clemont spoke.

"Earthquake!" Vibrava was just as quick as her trainer and fluttered upwards before smashing the ground with her feet. A wild shockwave rippled through the floor and erected countless pillars to block Heliolisk's path. As luck would have it, the Generator Pokémon was walled off the columns created by Earthquake. Being stranded, Heliolisk began to panic.

"Feint Attack!" Tristan smirked, knowing that the battle had now shifted in his favor. On command, Vibrava faded from view and appeared next to Heliolisk while coated in shadowy energy. Adrenaline flowed through the ground type's veins as she rammed into her opponent's back.

The duo smashed their way through a pillar created by Earthquake and onto the gym floor. Vibrava hurriedly flew away from Heliolisk, who was still recovering from the stealthy attack.

Heliolisk spat blood on the floor and used his thin arms to hold his body up. Vibrava flapped her wings idly; she was waiting patiently for her next order. Strangely enough, an order wasn't coming.

Clemont and Tristan glanced at each other and nodded, as did Heliolisk and Vibrava. The fight was nearing its end. Vibrava was still fatigued from her previous bouts with Emolga and Magneton, and Heliolisk, who previously seemed indefatigable, had now sustained a large amount of damage from a point blank, attack boosted Seed Bomb, as well as a Feint Attack through a solid stone pillar.

"We end it here! Earthquake!"

"Quick Attack into Dragon Tail!" Clemont screamed directly after Tristan. Both moves were executed at the same time. Time almost seemed to slow as Vibrava raised the earth around her with a simple stomp and Heliolisk jetted forward with his tail glowing powerfully.

Clemont's ace in the hole bypassed the Earthquake with ease via jumping and spun quickly to strike Vibrava, who had eyes wider than a dinner plate.

"F-!" Tristan shouted. The teen was cut off when Heliolisk's power packed tail cut through the air and hit a still Vibrava. The lizard's tail sliced through the dragonfly's body as if she was butter. The spot where Vibrava once stood was vacant, empty. Clemont cried out in frustration as he watched the afterimage Vibrava left fade, leaving the real Vibrava to crush his strongest Pokémon with Feint Attack. Trista gasped as he saw his newest addition to the team pile drive Heliolisk.

Vibrava had recognized the 'f' in Feint Attack, even though it was cut off, and acted accordingly. Heliolisk was now lying on the ground without a sound. Tristan pumped his fist in excitement and cheered loudly when Heliolisk was ruled unable to battle.

Monica and Dash both looked at each other with looks of utter surprise and, cheering, sprinted onto the battlefield to congratulate Tristan. Clemont stood back and smiled despite his loss; Tristan had earned it.

Unknown to the four other humans, another person resided silently in the corner of the room. He smiled at the sheer excitement that Tristan exuded and applauded the teen quietly. Blade's smile faded as he regained his focus.

He was here to work, not play.

**X – X – X – X**

**Oh boy. Tristan is back, everyone! What better way to celebrate that to go win your badge, right? The match was seriously close, but Tristan squeaked by for the win! I hope you all enjoyed the battle. This sounds like an excuse, but I promise it's legitimate. I really haven't written in a battle in a while, so I'd appreciate feedback on its flow, etc.**

**But wait, Blade's here! :O Now, what is he up to…?**

**Once again, thanks for reading and reviewing! Adios!**

**Le questions.**

**1-Greninja's prep talk thing though?**

**2-Who's the MVP for the gym battle, and why?**

**3-What do you think made it so hard for Tristan to net this win? (Aside from "He didn't choose Manectric or Greninja," that is).**

**4-Why do you think Blade's decided to show up?**

**Tristan's Team ****(Yes, the levels are VERY even. That should change soon).**

**Diggersby – Level 37 – Quick Attack, Return, Double Kick, Dig**

**Gogoat – Level 37 – Grass Knot, Seed Bomb, Bulk Up, Bulldoze**

**Greninja – Level 37 – Shadow Sneak, Lick, Water Pulse, Smack Down**

**Manectric – Level 37 – Discharge, Quick Attack, Bit, Thunder Fang**

**Vibrava – Level 38 – Earthquake, Feint Attack, Rock Slide, Bug Buzz**


	33. Chapter 33 - Behind Closed Doors

**Hello, everyone! Welcome back to All Out! It's time for chapter 33, and I hope you all are ready. Tristan managed to snag his gym badge from Clemont last chapter, and we saw at the end that Blade appeared. What does he want, and what is he up to? Read on.**

**But, before you do, I'd like to give a huge shout out to you, the readers and reviewers. We reached 100 reviews and 100k words in the same chapter, which is awesome. Thanks, guys. So, let me respond to this reviews before the chapter starts. Leggo!**

** El Torro – Diggersby got REKT. It had to be someone, right? No? Okay. Thanks for the compliment, though. I'm really glad that you liked the battle; I tried to make it a solid one but you can never be too sure. Vibrava, you da real MVP. As for Diggersby and Gogoat, they'll have their moments… kind of. Blade's here for stuff. Go read the chapter for the specifics. :P Thanks for the review!**

** Warrior of Hope – Thanks for the compliment. Gym battles are so fun, indeed. They're usually my favorite part. :D Wait, you said Gogoat? XD I didn't expect that. (Your logic is sound, though). As for your guess, the first one is OBVIOUSLY correct… Okay maybe not. Thanks for reviewing!**

** Blaze Falcon – Three more badges indeed! Can you believe it? At Tristan's badge-getting rate, this story will be done in 60 chapters or less. (I'm planning on making it longer though, so don't worry XD). Vibrava is totally the MVP. That's what I was going for. (Blame Diggersby tho, I guess. He diiid do the worst this battle, yeah…) Also, we'll see if your guess is correct! Thanks for le epic feedback!**

** MysticBeatz21 – "3 ground types". Just to let you know: Tristan has to ground types in the forms of Diggersby and Vibrava. Gogoat is a grass type. XD Anyway, Greninja is such motivate, wow. As for Vibrava, she definitely tore a hole through Clemont's team. On a totally related note: Dragon Tail is pretty evil, yes. That definitely made it difficult. Thanks for leaving a review!**

** JustinThePokemonMaster – "Woah" indeed! Welcome to All Out; I'm glad to have you. :D Thank you for the compliments, sir, I appreciate it. I'm glad that you liked the battle. You know, you're definitely not the first to say Vibrava is the MVP. Personally, I agree. As for Blade, well, you'll see what's up with him. Thanks for reviewing!**

**So, the story continues. Who's ready to see Blade do stuff? I know I am. Read on!**

**X – X – X – X**

**Chapter 33 – Behind Closed Doors**

Tristan's grin stretched from one ear to the other as he snatched a small piece of metal from Clemont's outstretched palm; it was a gym badge, and his fifth one at that.

Tristan marveled at the simple object, excitement still pumping through his veins. The badge was a yellow, triangular object with six lightning bolts stemming from its center in different directions, and it took the Kalosian several seconds to place it in his badge case. Clemont chuckled.

"Well, there you go! You've definitely earned the Voltage Badge, Tristan. The battle you gave me was a thousand times better than the last one, that's for sure. I'm sure you'll continue to do well," the electric user praised. Tristan nodded gratefully.

"I appreciate the vote of confidence." Clemont nodded in response and opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the resounding sound of clapping. Clemont glanced to his right as Tristan, Monica and Dash whirled around in surprise. Dash scowled.

"Oh, it's you, Blade." The boy in black shrugged and shoved his hands in his pocket.

"I can tell that you missed me," he shot back. Monica rolled her eyes at the remark.

"What are you doing here, anyway? Shouldn't you be blowing up another building right about now?" she spat caustically. Clemont raised an eyebrow at Blade, and the teen looked just as confused.

"Blowing up buildings? What are you - ? Oh, that…" Blade rubbed the back of his head and shifted his gaze to the ground while muttering something. Clemont glanced at Blade and then back at the trio of teens by his side.

"What are they talking about, Blade?" the blond questioned as he took a step forward. The powerful trainer sighed and shook his head.

"They still think I'm part of Deivis," he responded.

"_Think_?! You mean _know_," Tristan countered, cutting Clemont off. The gym leader shook his head and raised his hands in defense of Blade.

"There's been a misunderstanding… Are you here to clear things up, Blade?"

"There's more to it than that, actually. Clemont, they've called a meeting. I'm supposed to bring these three with us." The electric user's eyes widened.

"Really? You don't think…" Blade nodded curtly and cut Clemont off.

"They are. Now come on, we don't have much time. Follow us, you three." Blade turned around swiftly and approached the elevator, his jacket flowing behind him like a cape.

"Not a chance; not until we get an explanation. I still don't trust you." Monica's opinion was voiced without hesitation, and the blond crossed her arms and tapped her foot expectantly. Dash and Tristan mimicked her pose.

Clemont shook his head adamantly.

"If what Blade said is true, we have to get going right now. I hope you can trust me when I say that Blade is trustworthy. All you need to know is that we're heading to a gym leader meeting." Then, saying nothing more, Clemont strode over to Blade's side and punched a button on the panel by the elevator.

Tristan sighed.

"I'll suspend by disbelief… for now. I'll join you, though I don't like it." Monica and Dash exchanged concerned glances at Tristan's decision, simultaneously and silently refusing to go. But, after seeing Tristan nod his head towards Blade and Clemont, they finally relented. The trio joined Blade and Clemont in the elevator reluctantly.

X – X – X – X

Tristan's eyes slowly followed the blinking lights positioned above the elevator doors. They were slowly approaching the ground floor. The teen would sigh in relief as soon as he stepped out of the awkwardly silent elevator.

The lights continued to near the 'G' above the door. Three… two… one! Tristan stared at the door anxiously, but nothing happened. His gaze snapped upwards. They were still going down? There was an underground area?

"Where are we going?" Tristan piped up, deciding to voice his inner concerns.

"The underground meeting room, a room that holds – you guessed it – very important meetings. It's also much safer than anywhere else in the city," Blade responded almost immediately. Tristan nodded solemnly. Suddenly, the door slid open with a ding as the elevator drifted to a rest.

"Finally! I can stand doing nothing for that long…" Dash muttered, causing Monica to giggle as she exited the elevator. The blonde's jovial mood shifted, however, when she caught a glimpse of her surroundings.

A long, bland hallway stood before her. Rigid metal lined the sides of the hallway, and the ceiling and floor were no different. The lights overhead flickered obnoxiously, and a few sputtered and died out entirely. At the end of the hallway were two sturdy, oak wood doors with shiny golden handles. Blade brushed passed the blond along with Clemont while muttering an apology.

"We're late by now. Come on, you three," the dark haired teen ordered, referring to Dash, Monica and Tristan. Monica huffed but obeyed, and the two remaining boys were not far behind. Clemont opened the door and stepped to the side to hold it, allowing everyone to pass. What greeted them was far more impressive than the hallway, though not by much.

The room they had entered was a circular one with lofty ceilings. Large banners of varying colors adorned the metal walls that surrounded the meeting room. In the center was a thick wooden table, and seven individuals were sitting around it. Another man, one who was standing at the head of the table, glanced up curiously. He adjusted the brown coat he was wearing and nodded at Blade and Clemont.

"I see you've decided to join us," the man remarked pointedly as his brown eyes stared a hole through Blade's head. The black haired teen shrugged before taking a seat next to a woman with elaborate purple hair. Clemont sat in the chair beside him.

"Sorry, Looker, it took a bit of convincing to get these three to come with us." The man named Looker raised an eyebrow.

"These three?" His eyes darted to the doorway and locked on to Dash, who shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh, I see. I'm glad you brought them here." Wordlessly, Looker shoved his hands into the massive pockets on the side of his coat and strode around the table. Smiling, the man offered his hand to Tristan.

"The name's Looker. You are?" Tristan shook the man's hand awkwardly.

"Tristan." Looker grinned and nodded.

"And you two?" he inquired suddenly as his face came a little too close to Monica's and Dash's.

"M-Monica," the girl stammered as she backed away. Dash recoiled, too.

"I'm Dash," he answered right after Monica. Looker nodded in apparent approval and took a large step away from the two uncomfortable trainers. He folded his arms behind his back and resumed his position at the head of the table. Looker cleared his throat and scratched the top of his head, which sported black hair.

"Sorry about that. I have… strange tendencies. Anyway, I'm glad to see you three here. I was hoping that you would come. So, before I continue, why don't you three take a seat?" Looker motioned to a few chairs next to Clemont, three of which were taken gratefully by the trio. The strange man nodded curtly and rested his palms on the table. His eyes scanned the room.

"So, I'm sure you three are wondering why you are here. Well, for starters, I'm Looker, as you now know, and I'm the head of the International Police." The name struck a chord with the three teens that were listening attentively.

"Wait, seriously? Dude, we're sitting with the members of the International Police right now! That's so cool!" A few of the people around the table chuckled at Dash's excitement, as did Looker.

"Indeed you are. All gym leaders, elite four members, and champions are a part of this organization; it is a worldwide one, after all. Anyways, here with the International Police, we handle serious, large-scale crime. I believe you've already run into one of our biggest threats…" Tristan's eyes narrowed.

"Deivis." Looker nodded. The man in the coat began to pace back and forth with a look of deep concentration plastered in his face. He seemed to be carefully and mentally articulating his next sentence.

"Yes. Deivis is quite a threat. The thing is, we didn't think they would be such a problem until the events of not too long ago…" Tristan's fist clenched.

"…Now that they've become a bit more extreme in their actions, we've realized that immediate action is needed. Luckily for us, Blade took the initiative of going on a scouting mission before we even knew what Deivis was capable of." The mention of the powerful teen caused Monica, Dash and Tristan to turn their heads towards him. Blade did not make eye contact, but opted to gaze at the table.

The black haired teen abruptly sighed and rubbed his eyes furiously. Scooting his chair back, Blade stood up swiftly. He stumbled about and brought his left hand up to his eyes while the other hand groped for a Poké Ball. He winced in pain, causing him to grip his head tighter.

In a flash, Blade's Bisharp was out in the open. The steel type, already aware of the situation, stood in place as his trainer latched on to his shoulder. Gingerly, the Sword Blade Pokémon guided his trainer around the table and to the back of the room, where a door was. Bisharp pressed his body against the door, causing it to open. The two disappeared from view soon after.

The room was silent. Many of the gym leaders shook their heads.

"What's up with him? I've seen it happen before, but I never figured out what was wrong." Tristan leaned forward in his chair, hoping that one of the gym leaders or Looker could answer his question. Finally, Looker exhaled and opened his mouth to speak. Tristan's ears perked up.

"That's not information that I can disclose. If Blade wants to tell you, that's his decision. But, I will not – and technically cannot – tell you. I am required to keep information like that a secret," Looker informed the expectant teen. Tristan frowned, but nodded in understanding. Monica and Dash, though they tried not to show it, were disappointed as well.

The thought of Blade made Monica gasp.

"So wait… If Blade's working for you guys, doesn't that mean that…?" Though Looker and most of the gym leaders had no idea what the blond was referring to, her friends did. Dash facepalmed and Tristan pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I feel bad now," Dash stated simply. Looker could not have appeared to be any more inquisitive.

"What are we talking about now?" the detective interrogated.

"Well, we kinda assumed that Blade was a part of Deivis at first…" Dash responded. The adults around them raised their eyebrows.

"How exactly did you draw that conclusion?" Korrina wondered. Monica blushed in embarrassment and rubbed the back of her head. She instinctively wiped her palms on her shorts.

"Well, you see, Blade had this black mask. One day he put the mask on, and it looked exactly like the one a Deivis guy was wearing. We just jumped to conclusions…" Monica admitted. Looker stroked his chin in contemplation before laughing.

"I guess I can see how you arrived at that deduction, but I can assure you that Blade is most definitely combatting Deivis along side us. He carries that mask with him because of his… condition." Looker stifled a yawn and began to pace once again. The trio of trainers followed the older man with their eyes. He was oddly silent.

"So! Let's get back on track!" His exclamation startled the three greatly, but he seemed oblivious to the fact. That, or he just didn't care.

"The reason we've summoned you three here is because, according to Blade, you three would be instrumental in taking Deivis down and out of the picture. From what I've heard from the gym leaders and Blade himself, you three sound like capable trainers. What do you think?"

The three teens were speechless. They could be a part of a worldwide crime-fighting organization? The thought seemed so farfetched. Monica, Dash and Tristan exchanged incredulous looks. But, as their initial shock faded, the three seemed to be resolute in their decision.

"If it means stopping Deivis, I'm in," Tristan announced firmly.

"Same here," Monica and Dash iterated simultaneously. The eight gym leaders surrounding them grinned, and Looker nodded.

"Excellent!" he bellowed. However, the tall man suddenly became "Now, here's when things get a bit more complicated. You see, our problem is that we have no idea where Deivis' base is located. Also, we don't know where they will strike next."

"And we don't know where they'll strike next because we don't exactly know their motives…" one of the gym leaders, a heavy-set man with white facial hair, interjected. Looker used the interruption as a springboard, not caring in the slightest.

"…Which is why we'd like you three to be vigilant as you continue on your journey. We're not sending you to anywhere in particular, but make sure you are always ready to combat Deivis if we inform you of their presence. In fact, allow us all to exchange numbers with you three." Dash, Monica and Tristan all nodded and gathered their Pokédexes in their hands. Surprisingly enough, the red device also had a phone function.

The number exchange passed in a surprisingly short amount of time, which everyone was grateful for. Everyone pocketed their devices and then sat in silence. Looker cleared his throat loudly.

"I think I can speak for us all when I say that we are glad to have you three as a part of the International Police. If you three ever find anything of importance, make sure to contact the rest of us; we'll do the same. I don't want to keep you three any longer than I have to, but do you have questions or comments?" the detective asked. Dash stroked his imaginary beard. A look of wonder came across his visage.

"This has been bugging me ever since it happened. I get that we don't know Deivis' true goal, but what reason did they have to blow up Parfum Palace? I mean, they could've blown up countless other places, but they chose that place specifically." Dash's point, for whatever reason, did not bode well with the rest of the bodies in the room.

"You have a point," Monica remarked, "Why would they go to the palace in the first place just to blow it up? They could've gone for Prism Tower or something… Was there anything in the palace that they might've wanted?" All eight gym leaders as well as Looker put their heads together and began to ponder the question.

"All I know is that Parfum Palace was known for its statues, paintings, and numerous artifacts. I don't know why Deivis would want any of those. Looker, you can do some research, right?" Clemont inquired as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. The man in question nodded quickly.

"I'll see what I can do. Well, if that's all that you guys have, you're free to go. Once again, thank you for your cooperation." Tristan shook his head and grinned from ear to ear.

"No, Looker, thanks for allowing us to help. We'll keep in touch." Standing up, Tristan spun on his heel and approached the door. Monica and Dash pursued him. The three waved in silence at the remaining International Police members before the solid oak door shut behind them.

The three friends entered the elevator in utter silence. It was Dash who spoke first.

"Can you believe this? We're actually assisting the International Police with taking down Deivis!" he shouted excitedly. Monica winced from the noise.

"Calm down, Dash!" she snapped. The blonde's annoyance soon turned to a smile, however.

"I do agree with you, though. Being a part of something so important is crazy! Are you sure we're not dreaming?" Tristan chuckled.

"No, Monica, I don't think we're dreaming. As insane as it seems, we're actually doing this. And as soon as we have our lead, we're chasing Deivis down." The proclamation elicited firm nods from his two friends.

"I look forward to the day."

**X – X – X – X**

Blade grumbled as he sat up. Big mistake.

A sharp pain pulsed through his head because of the transition. The teen instinctively covered his eyes with his hands and gritted his teeth.

"Take it easy, Blade," a pink haired woman ordered in concern. Nurse Joy smoothed her white apron before swiftly approaching Blade's bedside. She placed a hand on the teen's shoulder and forced him to lie down as gently as she could.

"Your eyes won't stop hurting for a bit, and you'll still feel a bit dizzy. You should be fine in a few minutes," the kind woman added. Blade groaned and rubbed his head.

"How much worse has it gotten?" the black haired teen queried. Nurse Joy, who had been industriously typing on her computer, took pause. She seemed to hesitate.

"I won't sugarcoat it, Blade; things have gotten worse. However, as you near your end result, your sudden bursts of pain will become less and less frequent," she replied solemnly. Blade nodded and closed his eyes with a loud sigh.

"If only it didn't have to be this way…"

**X – X – X – X**

It was late, He knew that, too, but that didn't stop him from poring over every inch of the book he was reading. Though he had to strain his eyes because of the darkness, Looker would not give up his search. Tattered page after tattered page proved to be useless to the increasingly disgruntled detective.

"Where is it? Surely finding a list of artifacts contained in Parfum Palace isn't too hard!" The weary man continued his examination of the leather bound book before him. The dusty old tome had been perched on his bookshelf for far too long, and it was finally seeing some use.

Looker cursed under his breath; it was another useless page.

But suddenly, though the faint light from his Pokédex did little to illuminate the pages of the book, Looker spotted a few key words.

"Parfum Palace Artifacts! Excellent! Now, let's see…" The police officer's eyes scanned the list incessantly. He had to pinpoint Deivis' reason for going to Parfum Palace. He just had to!

As he used his finger to follow the lines of text, Looker gasped.

"Ah, how could I have forgotten?" Making sure to bookmark the page he was on, Looker began flipping hurriedly through the leather bound book on his desk, skipping chapters upon chapters of valuable information. Suddenly, the older man's finger landed on a picture at the top of the page.

"The Poké Flute…" he muttered as he began to read the item's description, "A strange instrument that can be used to wake sleeping Pokémon. Apparently, this item can be traced back thousands of years ago." Looker paused in incredulity. That was it? This book, which was basically an encyclopedia, could only give him those **two **sentences on the Poké Flute.

Looker ran a hand through his hair and slammed the tome shut. He came to regret that decision when a cloud of dust was launched into the air. The detective stood up abruptly and began to walk circles around his chair.

"The Poké Flute must be what they were after! It's the only thing I can think of that they'd want… Everything else has a higher monetary value, but if they wanted money they could've gone elsewhere…" he muttered. A light bulb went off in his mind as realization hit him like a truck.

"No! Surely that's not what they're after… They'd be insane to do that!" Looker slumped in his chair and cradled his head in his hands.

"If that's what they're truly after, then we have a monumental, world-shattering problem. But, I can't jump to conclusions yet. I'll see what their next move is, and then I can make the call. I just have to hope and pray for now that they're not doing **that.**" Looker sighed and rose to his feet.

An ominous feeling overcame the detective as he pocketed his Pokédex, and it wasn't just because he had surrounded himself in the inky blackness of the night.

Something was coming, and whether or not his hunch was correct, it wasn't going to be pretty.

**X – X – X – X**

**Well, well, well! The chapter is over! Was that a lot to soak in? Yes? No?**

**But yes, Looker has officially invited our trio to join the International Police. And, surprise, surprise, Blade is a part of it, too! However, we didn't get to see a lot of Blade during the meeting, as he had to step out. What could be ailing him?**

**So, Deivis is clearly up to no good. We knew that already. But, Looker seems to have an idea. What is Deivis planning, and, if his hunch is correct, why is Looker so shaken up?**

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reading!**

**1-International Police though?**

**2-What do you think is going on with Blade?**

**3-Deivis is looming in the background. What do you think they are planning, and why does it involve the Poké Flute?**


	34. Chapter 34 - Gogoat vs Manectric!

**Hello again, everyone! I'm glad to see that you all liked the last chapter.**

** Blaze Flacon – Everyone loves Blade! XD I could probably make him be the leader of Deivis, have him stab Looker, Tristan, Dash and Monica to death, and then nuke the entire Kalos region, and you guys would still love him! Lol. 1) Hype is so real! 3) Kalos legendary mons, you say? No comment. :P Thanks for the review!**

** Warrior of Hope – Blade thooo! XD The guy has a lot going on. I mean, what can I say? He's a seriously strong trainer, so of course the IP would want to involve him in their crime fighting. 2) Blind to the future? No comment. 3) Oh, you think they'll awaken Jirachi and Lugia, huh? No comment. Thanks for the review!**

** JustinThePokemonMaster – Yep! Looker has made an appearance, and you'll definitely see him again. 2) HMMMMM indeed. Don't worry, though, you'll figure it out… eventually. XD 3) So, you think they're bringing the X and Y mascots back? No comment. Thanks for reviewing; I appreciate it!**

** MysticBeatz21 – 1) Nice pun! XD They will be going all out to take Deivis down, though. You'll have to see how. 2) Could he be going blind? No comment (and before you assume that means yes or no, know that I've basically said that to everyone). 3) We'll have to see what Deivis does… Whatever it is, it won't be pretty. Thanks for le review!**

** El Torro – You snuck in right before Mystic and got the first review of that chapter! Anyway, I'm glad that Blade's totally horrible and disabling condition was able to give you ideas… Huh? XD 1) Quit Pokémon and become a full-time IP member? I doubt he would ever do that, lol. (Insert confused reaction to Diggersby though). 2) That feel when you're too cool for yourself and you just get blinded by it. I mean, if it was going to happen to anyone (assuming it was possible), it would probably be Blade. No comment. ^_^ 3) Zygarde? Uh… No comment.**

**Okay, let's get going! Last chapter threw a lot of stuff at you such as Blade's condition reappearing, the whole IP, and vague theories on Deivis' use for the Poké Flute. However, this chapter will step away from the crime-heavy parts and focus on fights. Who do you think will win, Manectric or Gogoat? We'll see!**

**X – X – X – X**

**Chapter 34 - ****Ever-growing Ego: Gogoat vs. Manectric!**

Tristan glanced down at his Pokédex for what seemed to be the tenth time that hour. Who wouldn't? The brown haired teen had been sent a message not long before, and it never failed to intrigue him.

It read: "You better prepare yourself, because tomorrow I'm coming. –Blade". The message sent a chill down the Kalosian's spine. The message wasn't exactly ominous, and he knew now that Blade meant no ill will, but Tristan couldn't help but feel off about the whole thing. What exactly was the powerful training planning?

A sudden sound snapped the teen from his musings.

With a loud crack, a large boulder spilt into several pieces and was reduced to a pile of rubble. Diggersby grinned and flexed his ears after smashing an object three times his size. He cried triumphantly.

"Nice job, Diggersby!" Tristan praised, now back to the real world, "You too, Manectric!" The canine had been dodging attack after attack from his amphibian ally for several minutes, and he showed no signs of slowing down. Manectric's speed, if it was even possible, had improved. Not that far away from the electric type, Gogoat was idly watching his teammates train as he lay in the grass.

Vibrava, on the other hand, sat by her trainer's feet, refusing to travel elsewhere. Confused, Tristan glanced down.

"Hey, Vibrava, what's up?" he inquired worriedly. The dragonfly shrugged and glanced away as she began to flap her wings absentmindedly. Tristan knelt down.

"Is anything wrong?" Tristan asked again, this time wording his question a different way. The ground type sighed, and her cheeks seemed to turn a light pink.

"I-It's nothing, really. It would be too embarrassing, anyway…" Though she mumbled her last sentence, Tristan heard Vibrava clearly and chuckled.

"I doubt that. But hey, if you're not up for sharing then I won't pressure you. If you ever feel like talking, though, I'll be right here," the teen said sincerely. The vow made Vibrava smile warmly.

"Thanks, Tris –"

"I'm bored! Somebody fight me!" Both trainer and Pokémon turned their heads towards the loud demand, which came from none other than Gogoat. The grass type stood up and waltzed forward with a look of utmost confidence. Manectric, Greninja and Diggersby met the arrogant creature in the middle of the field.

"Well?" Gogoat interrogated. He eyed all of his teammates expectantly. Finally, someone stepped forward to accept the grass type's challenge.

"I'd be down," Manectric remarked as he licked his paws. Gogoat smirked.

"You're going down, dog." Manectric shrugged.

"Say what you want…" The canine suddenly hopped up and sprang across the field.

"…I'm just excited to battle!" Manectric howled and released a bolt of electricity into the air, eliciting an excited cry from the rest of the Pokémon. Tristan jogged across the field and stood between Gogoat and Manectric; he raised his arms to act as a referee, as he knew there was no stopping his Pokémon.

"I guess this will be a battle between Manectric and Gogoat! There will be no outside help and the battle will be over when one of you is unable to continue. Begin!" Tristan shouted. Manectric crouched down and Gogoat smirked while swiping at the ground with his hoof. The battle was about to commence.

**X – X – X – X**

A lone figure sat in a swivel chair with their legs crossed. Having nothing better to do at the moment, they flipped through the pages of a book. However, the figure grew bored of the mindless, mundane action. They carelessly tossed the book to the floor with a sigh and leaned back in their chair.

**Knock! Knock!**

Jordan slammed their fist on their desk as unfounded rage overtook them/

"WHAT?" the masked mastermind snapped. Whoever it was that was brave enough, or perhaps stupid enough, to interrupt their peaceful afternoon would soon wish they hadn't.

The knocking stopped abruptly. The door to Jordan's office opened very slowly, as if the one behind it was regretting their decision. Jordan raised an eyebrow as Drew shuffled into the office.

"_If he were a mere grunt, he would be dead,_" the masked menace thought.

"Oh, it's you. What is it?" inquired the leader, their temper cooling down. The admin smirked as he sat in a chair in the corner of the room.

"This is kind of important, actually. I sent some scouts to Lumiose City yesterday, and they came back to me with one report: Tristan was seen leaving Prism Tower." Jordan rolled their eyes behind the black mask on their face, but made sure to audibly scoff at the information.

"What's your point, Drew? Sure, the kid has another badge, big whoop! Would you like to tell me something else that I already know?" Drew held his hands up defensively, frightened by the increasing anger with which Jordan spoke. Oh, how the Deivis commander hated it when people stated the obvious.

"It's not just that he was coming from Prism Tower. One of the grunts informed me that Tristan, as well as his two friends, were exiting the elevator after it came from underground." Drew swelled up with pride when he saw his boss physically recoil.

"They were coming from the underground meeting room, huh?" Jordan stroked their chin, their thoughts provoked. The masked mastering found a grin creeping across their face.

"So, you've taken the three under your wing eh, Looker? Hm, I'm sure you think doing that will make things harder for us. Foolish Looker, what you don't know can kill you. All you're doing is helping us reach our goal, whether you know it or not…"

**X – X – X – X**

Gogoat grunted in pain as Manectric clobbered him with a Quick Attack. The dog leapt backwards just in time to avoid Gogoat's immediate Seed Bomb. Gogoat spat on the ground defiantly. The battle had only just begun.

Manectric went on the offensive yet again, sprinting forward at an increased speed as white streaks flew off of his body. Gogoat snickered at the predictable approach as he shone green for a brief moment.

Manectric's momentum carried on, but the electric type would soon regret that when his foot was caught on the blades of grass that Gogoat summoned in retaliation. Manectric's jaw was slammed against the ground with enough force to crack it, and it caused Tristan to wince.

Gogoat was lacking in sympathy, however, as he did not hesitate to bash the ground with his hooves. A fissure snaked its way through the ground and erected a pillar of earth, which slammed into Manectric's body. The dog yelped in pain as the super effective attack collided with him. The energetic beast was lifted into the air by the pillar, and gravity was not his friend. Manectric hit the ground like a sack of bricks.

Gogoat sneered at the injured canine and cracked his neck arrogantly.

"Aren't you supposed to be the strongest of us all, Manectric?" Gogoat inquired tauntingly. The dog did not respond as he gingerly lifted his body off of the ground. Diggersby clenched his fists and Tristan frowned. The teen opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Diggersby.

"Shut up, Gogoat! I know you're confident in yourself, but that's too far!" bellowed the normal type. Diggersby gritted his teeth, desperately trying not to scream at his arrogant ally. Tristan placed a hand on the rabbit's shoulder to calm him down.

"Gogoat, Diggersby's right. Manectric is your teammate, for crying out loud! There's no need to be so harsh." Gogoat shrugged at the advice, making Tristan deadpan. Gogoat's attention transitioned from Tristan to Manectric when the sound of snarling could be heard.

The canine lurched forward suddenly as his fangs elongated and harnessed the electricity inside of him. Manectric bit down on Gogoat's shoulder. Hard. Gogoat roared in pain and thrashed violently in an attempt to shake his opponent off of him. Finally, Gogoat bucked ferociously and sent Manectric rolling across the rough terrain. The grass type's eyes narrowed as blood trickled down his leg.

"You'll regret that one, dog." Gogoat grunted and catapulted his signature Seed Bomb into the sky. The explosive rounds fell back down to earth and towards Manectric, but the canine did not seem concerned. Manectric gazed at the grass type attack and reared his head back.

Every spectator, Gogoat included, gaped as they saw Manectric spew a steady stream of fire from his open jaws. The fiery attack soared through the air and collided with Seed Bomb, causing all of the projectiles to detonate midair. Manectric grinned and wasted no time in continuing the battle.

Howling, the wolf sped across the battlefield with renewed vigor and checked Gogoat harshly. The arrogant creature was shoved back by the attack, but did not falter. The grass type attempted to counter his much faster opponent by raising his hooves for another Bulldoze, but was once again clobbered by a second Quick Attack.

Gogoat quite literally bit the dust. The mammal coughed up copious amounts of the earth as he stood up and shook his leafy coat. Gogoat winced in pain when he shifted his weight to his front left leg, which was where Manectric had chomped down. Still, blood trickled down from the puncture wounds.

The weary creature had no time to rest, however, as Manectric was fast approaching. Electricity danced over Manectric's fur, hinting at the lightning fast Pokémon's next move.

Gogoat was able to form a counter with celerity, however, and reared back in order to slam his hooves on the terrain. Much to the cocky creature's chagrin, however, the force of his feet meeting the ground caused him to cry out in pain because of his injured shoulder. Manectric took the opportunity to strike and unleashed all of the voltage he had held inside with a deafening roar, holding back nothing.

The impossibly large wave of electricity overwhelmed Gogoat and zapped him into submission. He screamed like a banshee and fell to his knees as streams of smoke rose up from his body. Gogoat went limp.

Manectric waltzed forward in an intimidating fashion, but Gogoat refused to be afraid. Even while he was on the ground, the mammal glared at him with contempt. The grass type grunted in pain as he made an endeavor to stand, but he found himself struggling to do so. However, the adrenaline coursing through his veins overrode the intense pain he was feeling and Gogoat leapt forward to tackle Manectric.

The canine was unable to dodge to sudden move, and found himself wedged beneath the sharp pressure of Gogoat's hoof on his neck and the jagged stones of the terrain below. Gogoat inhaled sharply and spat on Manectric. The grass type's breathing was ragged after taking the brunt of a powerful Discharge, but that didn't stop his rage-fueled body from trying to stomp the life out of his opponent.

Manectric wheezed as Gogoat sent another potent kick right into his gut. A sharp pain cut through his body like a knife. Gogoat kept on digging his heel into the electric type's stomach.

"Gogoat, stop!" Tristan barked. The grass type refused to listen, instead choosing to violently kick Manectric's head against the ground. Tristan rushed forward, hoping to prevent further pain, but was frozen in place when Manectric suddenly kicked Gogoat off of him.

The canine then staggered forward, though fatigued, and knocked Gogoat to the ground. Manectric, eager to exact his revenge, placed a paw directly on Gogoat's head. Fire began to build in the electric type's throat.

"Manectric, stop!" Tristan cried out desperately. The dog took pause and turned to his trainer as the fire in his body dissipated. The teen was in a panic, and his wide eyes shifted between Gogoat and Manectric. Manectric, realizing the brutality of his battle with Gogoat, hung his head and let out a low whimper.

"Sorry, Tristan," Manectric muttered. Tristan exhaled and approached the electric type slowly. He scratched the dog behind the ears, showing that he was not angered.

"It's okay, Manectric, you were only doing what you could to defend yourself. Gogoat, are you okay?" The teen turned to the grass type in question. Gogoat coughed violently and shakily rose to his feet. The mammal rolled his eyes and spat on the ground for the third time.

"The thing that hurts the most is my pride," he grumbled. Tristan chuckled and rubbed the creature's back.

"You did fine, Gogoat. Manectric truly is powerful. Plus, he learned Flamethrower halfway through the battle, which only added to his repertoire. You managed to hold your own, no, more than that." Tristan stood up and wiped his hands on his pants. He glanced at Gogoat and Manectric, who were preoccupied because of their sudden stare down.

The canine offered his paw.

"You fought well, Gogoat," he praised with a smile. The stone-faced grass type said nothing for the longest time. Gogoat turned his nose up at the gesture. A few seconds passed before Gogoat finally faced his teammate with a smirk plastered in his face.

"You too, dog." The cocky creature raised his hoof and shook Manectric's outstretched arm. The two weary Pokémon nodded at each other with respect. Tristan beamed at the sight.

"It's good to see you two get along. Well, I think that's enough training for today. Excellent work, everyone!" Tristan snapped all five Poké Balls off of his belt and, in one conglomerate flash of red light, recalled his entire team. The Kalosian attached the five capture devices back to his belt and stretched his arms wearily.

Yawning, Tristan spun on his heel, picked up his bag, and began meandering back towards the route. He was ready to return to Lumiose City; he had had enough excitement for one day.

**X – X – X – X**

Jordan drummed their fingers on their desk monotonously. The Deivis leader's eyes scanned the screen of the tablet in their hand.

"We have the Poké Flute now… We still need to strike in these places. But, the International Police is probably doing everything in their power to stop me right now…" they muttered as they took a sip of their coffee. The crazed killer smirked a maniacal smirk.

"I know what I'll do, then. They're trying to bring the fight to me; I think I'll return the favor." Jordan cackled and turned their tablet off. The glow no longer illuminated their office. The Deivis leader grinned and readjusted their mask as they stood up to exit the room.

Tomorrow would be a fun day… just not for everyone.

**X – X – X – X**

**What? That's the end?! Yes, yes it is!**

**While in the middle of training for their bout with Blade, Gogoat and Manectric suddenly got into a fight because of the former's sheer arrogance. The two duked it out in a pretty tooth and nail fight, with Manectric managing to pin Gogoat at the last second with a Flamethrower on the way. But, Tristan broke up the fight.**

**Also, we caught another glimpse of the elusive Jordan. What could our masked menace be planning? Well, thanks for reading!**

1-What do you think is up with Vibrava?

2-What do you think about Manectric and Gogoat's duel?

3-Deivis, what are you doing? O_O

Diggersby – Level 37 – Quick Attack, Return, Dig, Double Kick

Gogoat – Level 37 – Grass Knot, Seed Bomb, Bulk Up, Bulldoze

Vibrava – Level 38 – Earthquake, Rock Slide, Feint Attack, Bug Buzz

Greninja – Level 38 – Shadow Sneak, Water Pulse, Lick, Smack Down

Manectric – Level 40 – Discharge, Flamethrower, Quick Attack, Thunder Fang


	35. Chapter 35 - Roar Like Thunder

**Well, well, well! Welcome back, everyone! Last chapter was an interesting one, as Gogoat and Manectric got into a fight. Manectric technically won in the end by overpowering Gogoat and preparing a Flamethrower, which prompted Tristan to end the dispute. Also, as always, Deivis left us with a slightly unsettling message. So, this chapter will be about Blade and Tristan and stuff. Yeah.**

** Blaze Falcon – Yeah, Gogoat just went crazy with ego. XD 1) Preggers? Nope! 2) Is great the word? I don't know. :P But yeah, those two can give eack other a run for their money. But, everyone in the team will eventually find their sparring partners. 3) Then surprised you shall be!**

** Warrior of Hope – 1) Not a bad guess, but no. 2) Will Gogoat become more modest? Well, let's just say that Gogoat will be Gogoat. Thanks for the compliment. 3) Deivis is up to no good, and that's all we need to know. XD**

** El Torro – Dude, Manectric absolutely killed it. He took down Gogoat, but the grass type definitely didn't go down without a fight. Thanks for the compliment about the battle. 1) You actually got this right! XD Vibrava, as you'll find out, is a bit shy. 2) Yeah, that made sense. Let's go, Manectric! :D 3) My face when murder. Well… no comment.**

**So, let's begin! Thank you, everyone, for reviewing! Enjoy!**

**X – X – X – X**

**Chapter 35 – Roar Like Thunder**

Tristan yawned lengthily and stretched his arms, holding the appendages high in the air. The brown haired teen rubbed his blue eyes and threw his legs off of the bed. Tristan hopped onto the carpeted floor and mumbled something as he walked over to his bag, which was leaning against the foot of his bed.

The teen knelt down and began rummaging through his backpack as a smile spread across his face. He remembered the message he had been sent yesterday with utmost clarity.

"_You better prepare yourself, because tomorrow I'm coming. –Blade."_

After Gogoat and Manectric's fierce fight, Tristan was convinced that his team was more than capable for whatever Blade was going to throw their way. As the teen pondered Blade's intentions, his hand brushed up against his Pokédex.

"Ah, finally!" Tristan turned the device on. The screen illuminated his face in the darkness of his Pokémon Center room, though the Kalosian didn't seem to mind the blinding light that was being emanated. Squinting, Tristan scanned the screen of the Pokédex with his eyes and focused on one icon in particular: an envelope at the bottom.

Above the envelope was a small red circle with the number one at the center. Tristan scratched his head; curious to see whom the message was from. He tapped the icon. The teen smirked; the message was from Blade.

"Be at the Pokémon Center at 9," it read. Tristan tossed the rectangular device on to the bed after powering it off and stood up. The Kalosian yawned yet again and gathered his clothes. He shuffled his way into the bathroom to get ready for the day ahead of him.

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan entered the main lobby of the Pokémon Center and grinned immediately when he saw Dash and Monica wave at him from the corner booth. Taking long strides, the teen reached the table in no time. Tristan slid into the booth, taking a seat next to Dash and across from Monica.

"So, did you sleep well?" Monica wondered. Tristan chuckled at the conversation starter.

"Yeah, I guess so. You?" The blond nodded, showing that she, too, had a restful sleep.

"So, uh, what do you guys plan on doing today? Now what we all have our badges, do you think it's time to head out?" Dash interrogated. Tristan shook his head at the inquiry.

"I'm planning on staying today and heading out tomorrow. If you guys want to resume your travels, though, don't let me stop you." Monica shook her head vigorously.

"I'm totally fine with staying an extra day. We still have plenty of time left on our journey, you know? But, if I may ask, why are you staying?" Tristan leaned back in his chair and made eye contact with the girl.

"Blade's meeting me here at nine. He didn't say what for, but it should be good."

Dash grinned at the news. He gathered his Pokédex in his hands and examined the device.

"So Blade should be here in under an hour, then," the tall teen deduced. The trio exchanged glances and cheered silently. Whatever Blade was planning, it had to be good.

**X – X – X – X**

"Yeah, dude, it was crazy! I was freaking out in the last moments when Chesnaught's arm huge arm came crashing down on Heliolisk's head. Clemont gave us a run for our money, that's for sure. I'm glad that Chesnaught managed to pull it off." Tristan whistled at the tale.

"Dang! I wish I was there to see it!" he exclaimed. Dash shrugged. The three, now having run out of things to talk about, glanced around the lobby. There was no hustle or bustle; the lobby was in fact silent. Nurse Joy was perched at her desk, glued to her computer screen. The pink haired woman tapped the keys on her keyboard relentlessly.

The strange noiselessness of the lobby was interrupted when a figure strode through the door with their hands in their pockets.

"Good morning, you three." The trio all turned their gazes to the figure, glad to finally have something to talk about.

"Oh, hey, Blade!" Tristan greeted with a grin. Dash and Monica waved at the boy in black, prompting the teen to nod and wave back. Blade casually approached the table and leaned against the wall next to it.

"So, Tristan, are you ready to go?" he inquired. The brown haired teen rolled his eyes as if the answer was obvious. Tristan stared Blade in the eyes, his blackish-gray eyes, and grinned.

"You know I am."

**X – X – X – X**

Four people meandered onto a barren field. The blades of grass, ones tall enough to reach up to the people's knees, swayed with each passing breeze. The trees surrounding the clearing stood as a barrier, separating the four travelers from the rugged wilderness beyond. The leaves on the trees rustled as the wind began to pick up.

"Remind me why we chose to come here!" Monica shouted. Blade smirked at the indirect complaint.

"We're here because what I'm trying to do is probably best done in a somewhat isolated area. Having too many spectators won't help," he responded. Monica sighed and hugged her body for warmth. She regretted wearing shorts.

"So, what **are** we about to do?" Tristan inquired. Blade grinned as he faced his fellow trainer.

"I, my friend, am teaching you mega evolution." Tristan's eyes widened, becoming as large as a dinner plate. The mention of the powerful technique caught the attention of Monica and Dash, too.

"You're here to help me master mega evolution?" Blade nodded. Tristan pumped his fist excitedly.

"Oh heck yeah!" Blade laughed at the excited reaction as he reached into his jacket. The black haired teen snatched one of his Poké Balls and held it up, but not before turning to Dash and Monica.

"You three are more than welcome to watch, and even learn if you have Pokémon capable of mega evolution, but I'd suggest that you stand back," he warned them. The two took the words to heart and backed away from the site. They took refuge on a nearby log. Monica shivered as the wind picked up yet again.

"Why is it so freakin' cold?" she muttered. Dash laughed at the blonde's misfortune, which earned him a jab to the ribs. Blade shook his head at the duo's antics and then turned to Tristan.

"Send out Manectric," he commanded. Tristan performed the instruction wordlessly, and the electric type materialized from thin air with a howl. Seeing Blade standing before him, Manectric tilted his head to the side in confusion. The powerful trainer ignored the dog's inquisitive look and glanced at Tristan.

"And do you have your mega ring and stone?" Tristan nodded vigorously. He had never taken the band off of his wrist ever since he had received it at the Tower of Mastery, and the mega stone had stayed in his bag ever since he tried harnessing its power alongside Manectric not long before he arrived at Lumiose City.

Tristan knelt down and, taking the shiny stone with a black string threaded through it, tied the Manectite around Manectric's neck.

"Are you ready to train for mega evolution, Manectric?" Tristan asked as he rose to his feet. Manectric heard the technique's name and memories of his last attempt flooded his mind. The canine frowned, but soon smiled and thumped his tail against the ground.

"I'm ready to do a whole lot better than last time!" the dog howled excitedly. The proclamation elicited a grin from Blade and Tristan.

"Sweet! Alright, Blade, let's do this thing." The Bisharp owner cracked his knuckles.

"I'm ready to see what you can do. Mind you, it won't be easy and you probably won't get it on your first time, okay?" Both Tristan and Manectric acknowledged the information with a simultaneous and curt nod. Blade chuckled.

"Let's get down to business, then."

**X – X – X – X**

"Drew, can you not?" Trinity seethed. The other Deivis admin shrugged.

"I don't know what you mean," he answered with false innocence as he poked his ally on the shoulder for the hundredth time that hour. The action earned him a sudden punch to the gut from Trinity.

"You're so dumb…" Trinity muttered as she rolled her eyes. Josh, who was peacefully residing in the corner while looking at his tablet, scoffed at the remark.

"You're both being stupid, now sit down." The dark haired admin shook his head and resumed reading from the device in his hands.

Everything was utterly silent.

"You know, I've been wondering something." Trinity groaned.

"Drew, we don't care, now shut up," she barked.

"Geez," the Deivis admin grumbled, "You always write me off as some kind of idiot."

"It's because you are." Drew breezed right past her interjection.

"I do have a legitimate question, though. Why do you think Jordan's so obsessed with Tristan and his two friends?" The question caught Trinity's attention, and Josh nearly dropped the device in his hand.

Why had they never thought of that before?

"I mean… That's a good question. We were just following what we were told to do. Why **does **Jordan care so much about these three? I mean, surely the guy has other things to worry about. Jordan really seems to be the most concerned about Tristan, too…" Josh mused aloud. His fellow admins nodded in curiosity.

"Maybe you should just ask Jordan." The three admins nearly jumped out of their seats at the unexpected fourth voice. Drew, Josh and Trinity immediately sat up straight in their chairs, their form rigid.

"Sorry, Jordan, sir," Trinity squeaked. The masked mastermind sauntered into the room with their arms folded behind their back and approached Trinity. The girl paled as Jordan's hand neared her face.

Trinity released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding when her leader merely patted her on the head. Jordan whirled around and began to walk away from the three wary admins.

"Truth be told, I don't mind you three talking about me behind my back…" The sound of a gun being cocked was heard, and the Deivis leader suddenly whirled around and pointed their firearm at Josh.

"Provided that it's nothing negative, got it?" Jordan barked, venom seeping into their words. Josh, wide eyed, nodded slowly.

"Y-Yes, sir," he stammered, any authority he previously held flying out the window. Jordan smirked as they loosed a bullet into the ceiling and holstered their gun. Intimidating as always, Jordan turned back towards the door and, after adjusting their mask, began to exit the room. Strangely, the masked menace paused.

"Oh, and by the way, Tristan and his two friends are crucial parts of our plan, whether you know it or not. That's all you need to know. Be prepared for tomorrow, you three." Saying nothing else, Jordan treaded out of the room, leaving their three admins sitting in silence.

"… Remind me never to say anything about the boss ever again," Josh grumbled as he tried to busy himself with his tablet. Trinity shivered and shook her head.

"Noted."

**X – X – X – X**

"Ugh! I didn't think this would be this difficult!" Tristan grumbled. Blade chuckled at the trainer's misfortune.

"Just keep at it. You've literally tried it three times today. It's a difficult thing to master, Tristan," Blade informed the trainer. Tristan and Manectric let out a collective sigh.

"I know you're right… I just wish that we could master this sooner. Oh well, I say we keep trying, Tristan," Manectric suggested. The canine's trainer nodded and lifted his arm up as if checking the time. The fifteen-year-old tapped his key stone with his index finger.

"Alright, Manectric, this is it! Mega evolve!" Tristan bellowed as Manectric howled. The electric type's mega stone began to shine brilliantly, and a beam of energy shot out of it and towards Tristan's key stone, which had also released a beam. The two beams connected as Tristan lifted his arm high in the air, allowing his stone to exude light and cast a faint glow in the surrounding area.

Manectric roared as he was enveloped in a glowing, pink egg. The cocoon-like structure shrouded the canine from view as the wind began to whip and rip the leaves from their branches. The pink egg began to pulse violently as Manectric's howling continued, but it finally burst open in an explosion of power.

Mega Manectric erupted from the shield of energy that had surrounded him with a fierce roar, and the canine exuded power. The fur surrounding his head grew exponentially and down his back to form a jagged, yellow lightning bolt. The canine's ears, too, grew in length, and Manectric's red eyes narrowed.

The newly mega evolved Pokémon smirked and unleashed a powerful Discharge into the sky, instilling a sense of awe in the spectators. Blade grinned and began to applaud the achievement.

"See? I told you that you could pull it off, and you did! Manectric just had to get used to the sudden surge of power." Tristan's grin matched Blade's, and the teen reached over to scratch Manectric behind the ears. The dog smiled at the affection, which drew a laugh from Tristan.

"Even when you look super intimidating, you're still the same Manectric," Tristan observed with a smile. The powerful mega Pokémon responded with a lick to the face.

"So, now that Manectric is successfully mega evolved, are you guys up for a battle? It would be a perfect test of Manectric's new form," Blade proposed. Tristan pumped his fist excitedly.

"Oh, I am so down! But, it's actually not the first time I've fought alongside Mega Manectric here," he admitted. Blade raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Do tell."

"Well, long story short, I ran into a girl named Gray in Lumiose City once, and we just ended up battling. She had a Mega Houndoom, which was super powerful. Manectric managed to mega evolve, though, and he pulled through with the win." Blade nodded slowly, processing the information.

"She seems like a powerful trainer, then. Well, enough about that for now, are you ready for a battle?" Tristan smirked.

"I'm more than ready."

"Same here!" Manectric cried out. Blade chuckled as he backpedaled away from the duo.

"Then let's get right to it, then! Bisharp, let's do this thing!"

**X – X – X – X**

"Man! The fact that Tristan is part of mega evolution training is making me want to battle!" Dash exclaimed. The blond beside him giggled, but suddenly became serious as she stood up.

"I'd be more than happy to kick your butt, then!" Monica announced confidently. Dash smirked as he stood up.

"Oh, you are so on! How does a two versus two sound to you?"

"Perfect." The three turned away from each other and took many large steps in the opposite direction before turning around once again. Nothing more needed to be said.

"Jolteon, let's start this off with a bang!"

"You too, Sylveon!" In two flashes of light, Jolteon materialized in front of Dash while Sylveon appeared in front of Monica. The two Eeveelutions crouched down and nodded at each other.

"Start out with Quick Attack, Jolteon!" Despite the overwhelming speed Jolteon showed, Monica was able to think of a counter with ease.

"Blow Jolteon away with Hyper Voice!" Sylveon nodded and inhaled, allowing her chest to swell with air. The fairy type then shot her neck forward and screamed at the top of her lungs. The deafening attack was powerful enough to shoot rings of sound at Jolteon.

A wide-eyed Jolteon was unable to dodge the potent attack and sprinted straight into it. Jolteon cried out in pain.

"Now, lift Jolteon with Psychic!" Monica continued aggressively as she pointed at the downed electric type. Suddenly, Jolteon was outlined by a faint blue light and tossed into the air. Dash scratched his head.

"Thunderbolt!" the tall teen ordered, unsure of what else to do. Electricity danced over Jolteon's fur, and the quadruped unleashed a high power beam of lightning towards Sylveon.

"Dodge!" Monica barked. Unfortunately for the girl, Sylveon's evasive move gave Jolteon enough time to land.

"Now, Quick Attack straight at her!" As soon as he hit the ground, Jolteon sprinted forward and slammed into Sylveon, knocking the pink creature over. Then, at Dash's command, Jolteon loosed a weak bolt of electricity at Sylveon.

The fairy type was unable to stand up and dodge in time, and found herself struck by the paralysis inducing attack. Sylveon grunted as she tried to move, but the sparks that flew off of her body prevented her from doing so. Monica frowned.

"Come on, Sylveon, I know you can do this! Psychic!" Fighting through the electricity that threatened to pause her permanently, Sylveon unleashed the psychic type attack and slammed Jolteon against the ground, causing the electric type to scream in pain yet again.

"Don't let her push you around, Jolteon! Pin Missile!" Jolteon grinned as he rocketed several spear-like energy blasts into the air and straight towards Sylveon. The projectiles whistled through the air as they made a beeline for their fairy type target.

"Reflect it with Hyper Voice, pronto!" Monica countered snappily. Still miraculously fighting through paralysis, Sylveon unleashed another high power ring of sound, which managed to crash into the oncoming bug type attack and send it back towards Jolteon.

Pin Missile, now moving at an even higher speed than before, collided with Jolteon's body and exploded violently. The electric type soared through the air as smoke rose up from his body, leaving him open to further assault.

"Snipe him out of the air with Shadow Ball!" Sylveon sprinted forward and gathered shadowy energy in front of her mouth. The fairy type then shouted and flung the sphere straight at Jolteon, who was still falling. Dash's jaw dropped when the attack slammed into Jolteon's side and swatted the electric type to the ground.

Dash rushed to his speedy Pokémon's side, flabbergasted at how easily he got taken down by Jolteon.

"Return, Jolteon. Thank you." Dash scratched his head in puzzlement. What could compete with Sylveon's power AND Monica's next Pokémon? The usually talkative teen stroked his imaginary beard thoughtfully. A grin crept across his face as he snatched a Poké Ball from his belt.

"Let's go, super secret weapon Slurpuff!" Monica raised an eyebrow. Slurpuff? Her question was answered when a large, pink cupcake-like Pokémon appeared in front of Dash. It had a red cheery perched on its head and stupid grin plastered in its face.

"Alright, Slurpuff, let's do this thing! Comeback kids!" Monica laughed and shook her head vigorously.

"Not on my watch! Sylveon, Shadow Ball!"

"Dodge it!" Dash barked. Slurpuff nodded and dove to the side, only narrowly avoiding the ghost type attack. Dash wiped his forehead. That was too close.

"Don't let Slurpuff rest! Hyper Voice!" Sylveon's chest swelled with air, but the Pokémon froze in the position before dropping to her knees. The fairy type's body radiated with static.

"Great timing! Belly Drum, Slurpuff!" The Meringue Pokémon nodded and slapped their stomach happily. A large red ring surrounded the chubby creature's torso before floating upwards and dissipating. However, Slurpuff suddenly slouched over and began to pant heavily.

Monica was speechless. Sure, the move was able to maximize your attack stat, but it also cut your health half. The blond was even more confused, though, when Slurpuff suddenly hopped back up with a determined look plastered in its face, looking rejuvenated.

Monica blinked.

"What the?"

"Slurpuff, Play Rough!" The fairy type grinned and sprinted forward while coated in a pink aura. Monica's eyes widened exponentially. When was Slurpuff so fast?

The blond didn't have time to blink, though, as Slurpuff neared Sylveon and delivered a vicious left hook to her jaw. The Eeveelution was sent rocketing past Monica and into a nearby boulder. The rock shattered upon impact, and Sylveon was left resting in a pile of rubble.

The injured fairy type crawled out of the rubble while coughing up blood and gingerly stood to her feet. She winced again as paralysis took over her body.

"Sylveon, I'm taking you out of the battle. You did an excellent job," Monica decided suddenly. The ribbon-wearing creature nodded and crawled over to her trainer's feet before collapsing. The blond returned her fallen friend and reached for another Poké Ball.

"Staraptor, it's up to you now!" In a flash, the bird of prey appeared intimidatingly in the sky. The avian squawked at Dash and Slurpuff before landing on the ground.

"We've got this, Monica," the bird announced confidently. The proclamation garnered an excited grin from Monica and Dash both.

"We'll see about that! Slurpuff, Play Rough!" Dash bellowed as he shoved his fist forward.

"On it, boss!" the cupcake answered with a smirk. Slurpuff closed the gap between himself and Staraptor in an instant, and he threw another power packed punch. The bird took the full force of the attack and rolled backwards across the rocky terrain. The avian shook his head at the immense power the cream puff possessed.

"Shake it off, Staraptor, go for Brave Bird!" The normal type cracked his neck and used his wings to get his body airborne. Just as quickly as Slurpuff had, the bird of prey encapsulated himself in shining golden energy and rushed through the air. The energy soon turned to a flaming, blue coat, and Staraptor mercilessly clotheslined Slurpuff.

The Meringue Pokémon gagged as Staraptor's wing collided with his neck and shoved him backwards, but he was quick to react and grabbed the fierce Pokémon by his wings. Dash grinned.

"Now, slam him and use Drain Punch!" Slurpuff smirked at the command and leapt into the air with Staraptor's wings still in his firm grasp. The fairy type then used both arms to heave the normal type straight into the ground, kicking up copious amounts of dirt. Slurpuff then channeled a massive amount of energy into his fist and crashed down to the earth like a meteor.

The cupcake's fist dug deep into Staraptor's stomach, making the bird screech in pain. Yellow particles flew off of Monica's Pokémon and sank into Slurpuff's skin, restoring the surprisingly tough Pokémon's health. Staraptor desperately scratched at Slurpuff with his talons in an attempt to escape.

"Block it with Cotton Guard and then Play Rough again!"

"Easy money!" Slurpuff's body suddenly buffed up with bountiful amounts of cotton, which smothered his avian adversary. Then, without hesitation, Slurpuff harnessed Play Rough's power and body slammed Staraptor. The ground cracked beneath the force of the brutal move. The Meringue Pokémon cracked his knuckles and walked over to Dash's side.

"Like I said, boss, easy money." Dash patted the unique Pokémon on the head.

"Excellent job, Slurpuff, return." The fairy type grinned stupidly before being zapped into its Poké Ball. A disheartened Monica returned Staraptor and thanked the flying type silently.

"Man… I couldn't do anything to stop the Slurpuff train…" Monica sighed. Dash gave the girl a reassuring pat on the back.

"Hey, you weren't used to a strategy like that. If Slurpuff can pull off Belly Drum, it proves to be a problem for anyone. Really, it does. You did fine." Monica couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Hey, do you think we would catch Tristan and Mega Manectric?"

"I really hope so, I really do," Dash responded. Their question was answered, however, when they heard a menacing roar that stemmed from the original training site. Not long after, a wicked bolt of electricity was shot into the air, scaring many wild Pokémon into sprinting through the trees and away from the sound.

The two teens looked at each other with excited grins.

"I guess that's a yes, then." Monica and Dash wasted no time in running back.

**X – X – X – X**

The canine and humanoid creatures stared each other down silently. Bisharp extended his arm forward and waved his electric type opponent on. Manectric smirked at the gesture. The pre-battle ritual was cut short, however, when Blade's voice cut through the air like a knife.

"Knock Off, let's go!" the teen barked with a snap. Blade smiled to himself as the dark type raced across the field towards Manectric.

"_I can't let him breathe this battle. We'll see how he handles non-stop pressure!" _thought the dark haired teen.

"Dodge it and use Flamethrower!" Tristan countered abruptly, ripping Blade from his thoughts. Manectric suddenly dove to the left right as Bisharp's energy-coated hand came down like an axe, and the canine began to build fire in his throat. Manectric threw his neck forward in an instance, but Blade seemed to be even faster.

"Sucker Punch!" Bisharp faded from view right as an intense wave of flames struck where he used to be standing, and the chess piece materialized next to Manectric. Bisharp's fist, which was surrounded in a murky purple and black energy, jabbed Manectric in the side, sending the dog rolling in the dirt.

The mega evolved Pokémon hopped up immediately, however, and rushed his steel type opponent with elongated fangs. Manectric lunged with his lightning-tipped teeth and prepared to chomp down on his opponent, but Blade was all too prepared.

"Sucker Punch again!" Bisharp dodged the speedy attack easily and appeared behind Manectric with his fist coated in energy, but Tristan barked another order.

"Discharge!" Without even having to turn around, Manectric roared and released a large wave of electricity from his body. The electric type attack slammed into Bisharp's torso and caused him to stumble backwards, allowing for a follow-up attack.

"Now turn and use Flamethrower unceasingly!" Tristan commanded as he pumped his fist. The canine swiveled obediently and loosed a scorching wave of flames at Bisharp. The fiery attack collided with Bisharp's body, eliciting an annoyed cry from the steel type. Bisharp attempted to side step the blistering heat, but Manectric's Flamethrower merely followed him.

"Iron Head straight through it!" Bisharp smirked and allowed his bladed skull to become enveloped in a silver light before charging straight through Manectric's Flamethrower. When he reached Manectric, the dark type bashed his head against the canine's head, causing the electric type to crumple in an instant while yelping in pain.

"Now, Knock Off!" Blade continued shouting commands mercilessly, not wanting to give Tristan and his Pokémon any time at all. Bisharp swung his bladed hand down like an axe once again.

"Catch it with Thunder Fang!" countered Tristan with a grin. Blade's eyes widened at the clever counter.

Manectric's teeth suddenly elongated and became coated with electricity, and the canine's canines clamped down on Bisharp's hand. Screaming, Bisharp recoiled and threw his arm behind him. Manectric was unable to handle the sudden shift and was flung off of his opponent's arm. Manectric hit the ground roughly once again. The mega Pokémon stood up in concern. Bisharp stood between him and his trainer.

"Manectric, get back here with Quick Attack," Tristan ordered calmly. Blade shook his head.

"Not on our watch! Bisharp, Swords Dance into Knock Off!" Blade instructed as he shot his hand forward. Bisharp hummed lowly as swords of light swirled menacingly around his body. The steel type did not seem to care that Manectric was rushing in his direction as a red ring of light swirled around his torso before disappearing.

As Manectric continued to sprint, Bisharp suddenly lunged forward as his palm was coated in pitch-black energy. He skidded to a halt like in front of the speedy canine and prepared to strike.

"Discharge, pronto!" Tristan barked. Manectric suddenly ceased his momentum and let out an ear-splitting howl as he exploded with electric energy. A wide-eyed Bisharp took the brunt of the attack, but managed to stand his ground as he shielded his face with his arms. Manectric continued emanating the high powered lightning, shocking Bisharp to his core. Blade, however, wasn't going to sit idly by.

"Double Sucker Punch, Bisharp!" Bisharp rushed forward, plowing straight through the oncoming waves of voltage. The steel type bellowed as he stuck both of his hands together and tomahawked his mega opponent. Manectric coughed up blood and collapsed on the ground, leaving cracks from the force of impact.

The field of electricity the canine had generated faded away, allowing Bisharp to rise to his feet without further harassment. The steel type exhaled slowly. Smoke arose from the Sword Blade Pokémon's body, and Bisharp trudged back towards his trainer at a snail's pace. Blade patted him on the back appreciatively. Manectric, on the other hand, devolved and curled up in the dirt silently.

Tristan knelt down with a sincere grin plastered in his face. The Kalosian scratched Manectric behind the ears, eliciting happy sounds from the canine.

"You did amazingly, Manectric. I couldn't have asked for more."

"He's right, you know." It was Bisharp. The powerful Pokémon shuffled forward while gripping his arm. The steel type chuckled alongside his trainer.

"You gave me quite the run for my money, you know," he continued. Blade nodded.

"Oh yeah. Trust me, Bisharp and I are quite impressed with how well you did. I look forward to any future battles, you two," he praised. Tristan and Manectric nodded.

"You, too. Thank you for the help." Blade smirked.

"Any time. Well, I'm off to go do other things. See you around!" The black haired teen returned Bisharp to his Poké Ball and summoned Skarmory. The powerful trainer leapt onto the metal bird's back, gave Tristan a two-fingered wave, and ordered Skarmory to take to the skies. The two were nothing but a speck in the sky after a few seconds.

Suddenly, Tristan heard the sound of clapping. The teen whirled around to come face to face with Monica and Dash. The two were grinning from ear to ear.

"Dude, that was awesome!" Dash exclaimed. The blond next to him nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, it really was. You battled well, Manectric." The canine smiled at the laudatory statement.

"Thank you." Tristan once again scratched the dog behind the ears before pulling out a Poké Ball.

"Well, today's been a good day, but I'm ready to head back." The declaration garnered three nods of approval. Seeing this, Tristan recalled Manectric and stood up.

The three teens gathered their stuff and meandered back towards Lumiose, talking about how great the day had been.

Meanwhile, a lone figure observed them as they walked away. The smirked.

"Enjoy it while you can, kids." The person reached into their back pocket and whisked out a phone. They punched a few numbers in and raised the device to their ear.

"Admin Drew, sir, it's one of your scouts. Tell the boss that A, Tristan just mastered mega evolution, and B, we're still good for tomorrow." A chuckle was heard on the other end of the phone.

"Good."

**X – X – X – X**

**That's a wrap! Good chapter y/n? Definitely make sure to tell me! :D**

**1-Mega Manectric though? :D How did you like the battle?**

**2-Slurpuff though? Did anyone expect that cream puff to steamroll Staraptor and Sylveon?**

**3- Oh boy… Deivis, no! :O**

**Diggersby – Level 37 – Return, Quick Attack, Dig, Double Kick**

**Gogoat – Level 37 – Seed Bomb, Grass Knot, Bulk Up, Bulldoze**

**Vibrava – Level 38 – Earthquake, Rock Slide, Feint Attack, Bug Buzz**

**Greninja – Level 39 – Lick, Shadow Sneak, Water Pulse, Smack Down**

**Manectric – Level 41 – Discharge, Flamethrower, Quick Attack, Thunder Fang**


	36. Chapter 36 - Destructive Habits

**We're here live at Chapter 36, and I'm here with the author, Shadow. Shadow, what do you have to say about Chapter 36? Oh wait… I am he!**

**Well, I hope you guys are ready for this. Last chapter foreshadowed an interesting turn of events, not to mention that Tristan's Mega Manectric squared off with Bisharp and actually did quite well. So, what the heck could Deivis be planning? Read on! If it's what I envisioned, it should be a great chapter (and one of the longest of the entire story, if not the longest, so far).**

** El Torro – Yeah, Manectric just went crazy during that fight. But don't worry; Bisharp won't stay that weak… not even close. 1) Manectric has indeed turned into a beast. I'm glad you liked it. 2) Slurpuff going innnn! That thing will continue to be its demonic self. 3) Deivis confuses you? Good! That's pretty much what I'm aiming for.**

** Blaze Falcon – I'm glad you liked both battles! I aim to please. As for Monica and Dash making it far, well, I can't promise anything… 1) Yeah, Tristan and Manectric did seriously well when you consider how powerful Blade and his Pokémon are. 2) Slurpuff indeed gets Belly Drum! It sets up some scary combos. XD 3) Deivis should scare you… You'll see what they're up to soon enough.**

** JustinThePokemonMaster – Eh, missing a chapter's not a terrible thing. :P 1) Mega thouuuugh. So good. 2) I totally agree. At first I thought the thing was useless, and then I realized what it could do. 3) Trust me, Deivis won't "get out" any time soon. Their reign of terror will be a lengthy one… if it ever ends.**

** Warrior of Hope – Lots and lots of Blade. Oh, and megas, too. Hype. 1) Mega Manectric IS so hype. That thing will continue to kick butt, but Tristan won't use him THAT often. 2) His name was "Super Secret Weapon" or something like that for a reason! XD 3) Deivis is a mysterious bunch indeed. Their plan, or at least part of it, will be made clear here and now.**

**Thank you, everyone, for the reviews. I appreciate them all. So, Deivis hype? (Hears booing). Riiiight…. Enjoy?**

**X – X – X – X**

**Chapter 36 – Destructive Habits**

The Deivis base was much busier that morning than it had been previously. Countless grunts raced down hallways and in and out of rooms, and the loud speakers blared orders. The noise in the underground bunker was deafening.

However, in the refuge of a quiet office, Jordan sat alone in their chair. The masked mastermind hummed quietly as they tapped on the arm of their chair, pausing every few seconds to scream another order into the microphone at the corner of their desk. A knock interrupted the quiescent nature of the office. An irritated Jordan groaned.

"Enter," the leader commanded. The door flung wide open, and three people marched in. Admins Trinity, Drew and Josh stood before their boss' desk with their hands clasped together behind their backs. The latter closed the door, leaving the four alone.

"Well?" Jordan inquired, raising an eyebrow that no one could see. Drew, who was standing between his fellow admins, stepped forward.

"Everything is ready, Jordan." He informed his boss with a proud smirk. Nodding, the leader of Deivis stood up and grabbed the microphone off of their desk. They leaned into it and began to speak.

"Everyone, meet in the hangar. We will be leaving in five minutes, with or without you. In fact, if you don't tag along, you will be shot. Now get going." Jordan stood up yet again and cracked their neck. The admins seemed unfazed by the death threats, as they knew they were going to be standing beside their leader, rendering them incapable of being late.

Frankly, as long as they didn't die, they didn't care.

Jordan adjusted their mask as they walked to the door to their office. The mysterious leader flung the door wide open, not caring that the wooden object left a sizeable dent in their wall. Drew, Josh and Trinity followed closely behind.

The day ahead would be a fun one… just not fun for everyone.

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan yawned as he strode into the lobby of the Pokémon Center. He scanned the building and, as usual, saw Monica and Dash sitting across from each other in the booth. The Kalosian chuckled under his breath and scratched the back of his head. Somehow he was always the last one awake.

Tristan and Dash made eye contact from across the room, and the latter nodded. Moments later, the brown haired teen reached the table and took a seat next to Dash.

"Oh! Hey, Tristan," Monica greeted. The teen smiled and waved at the blond.

"Hello to you! I should consider myself lucky that I wake up later than you guys; I get to avoid your morning moodiness," Tristan joked. Dash tried to stifle a laugh and glance away, but the tall teen failed horribly. Monica shook her head and rolled her eyes at the laughing teen.

"You're lucky I'm still not being moody," she shot back playfully. Tristan smirked with amusement. A still laughing Dash wiped a fake tear from his eye and leaned his elbow against the table. The teen finally calmed down and cleared his throat.

"Sorry about that. Anyway, are you guys ready to roll today?" he quizzed. Monica and Tristan nodded emphatically.

"You bet I am!" Tristan cried out with enthusiasm.

"Heck, I think we should leave now if you guys are ready," Monica opined while rising from her chair. Dash grinned, and Tristan mirrored the action. All three teens hopped up.

"Sounds good to me. Man, I have high expectations for the rest of our journey; it's going to be so awesome!" Dash exclaimed with child-like wonder. Monica shook her head but smiled nonetheless.

"You can say that again, Dash," she said. At that very moment, the deafening sound of an explosion rippled through the air. All three teens glanced at each other with wide eyes.

"On second thought, save it for later. It looks like Deivis has other plans!" The trio sprinted out of the Pokémon Center and towards the sound of the explosion without a second thought. It had to be Deivis, right?

They burst onto the streets and began to fight against hordes of people like salmon leaping up a waterfall. The citizens were in a panic as they ran as fast as they were able to away from the explosion, which seemed to be from the south side of the city.

Without warning, another explosion rocked the city. Tristan's head snapped towards the sound. Smoke was rising up from the center of Lumiose, most likely Prism Tower.

"Guys, I think Prism Tower just got bombed! I'm going to check it out!" Tristan shouted above the uproar. Monica shook her head vigorously.

"You're not going alone, then! We have to stick together!" she countered. Tristan sighed.

"Fine. Let's hurry!" The three suddenly shifted directions and began to make a beeline towards Prism Tower. People, driven by the confusion and panic of terrorist attacks, smacked into the three trainers constantly. Monica, Dash and Tristan pushed on, shoving past parked taxicabs and benches.

A third explosion rang out, then a fourth, and then a fifth. The detonations came from all sides of the city. Tristan shook his head in disgust as he continued sprinting. The brown haired teen wished there was something he could do as agonized screams reached his ears.

"_Deivis, I know you're the cause of this. You'll get what's coming to you, I promise!_"

**X – X – X – X**

"Jordan, tell me why we're attacking Lumiose again?" Drew asked. The leader of Deivis smirked beneath their mask.

"Looker and the International Police are doing all that they can to stop our plans right now, and have even recruited Tristan, Monica and Dash. If we stir up confusion and chaos, the International Police will find themselves preoccupied with reconstruction and calming down civilians. That will give us plenty of time to prepare and strike at our next destination without interference." Drew and the other two admins nodded at the strategic move.

"I'm looking forward to this," Trinity announced with a smirk. Jordan chuckled at the statement.

"As am I." The four authoritative figures stood alone as they observed the entirety of the Deivis base flow into four different hallways. One by one, the grunts standing in line stepped onto a shining green circle. The circle pulsed before surrounding a person in a green light and causing them to disappear.

Jordan smirked. They knew that investing in teleportation pads would be worth it.

Finally, after several minutes of waiting, the hallways were clear. The three admins and Jordan were the only four left in the base. The masked menace nodded at Drew, Josh and Trinity.

"I'll see you three on the other side." The Deivis authorities walked forward and down their respective hallways. All four humans, though they were not aware of the fact, stepped on the pads at the same time. They would see each other very soon.

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan, Monica and Dash reached Prism Tower, decidedly out of breath. The three panting teenagers gazed at Prism Tower and the surrounding areas in horror. Prism Tower's pinnacle, a place able to be seen from basically anywhere in Lumiose, had plummeted.

The structure was lying in the circle surrounding the tower and had crushed a building. The impact had shattered some of the brick and cobblestone road that surrounded the tower.

The center of the city, despite having less people, was still in an uproar. Citizens wailed unceasingly.

Monica looked around with wide eyes. Near the site of the crash were multiple people. Some had been crushed to death by the sheer weight of Prism Tower's peak. A mother was sobbing her eyes out as she knelt over the body of her dead child.

Others had been caught by some of the shrapnel and were bleeding out on the ground. They were being lifted gingerly onto stretchers as many crowded around them in concern.

Not too far away, a girl close to Monica's age sat on the ground. A crimson pool sat where her legs used to be. Her high-pitched scream continued on and on as tears fell down her face. A lone man knelt by her side, trying his hardest to console the girl without breaking down.

Tristan rushed forward towards one of the ambulances, leaving Dash and Monica behind. He had had enough of the sights. As he neared the vehicle, the teen managed to catch the driver's attention.

"What happened?" The teen had to shout over the noise of blaring sirens, desperate screams, shouts of pain and cries of lament. The driver shuddered and shook his head.

"It's real bad, kid, it's real bad. Bombs have gone off everywhere, including the top of the tower. There are so many injured, or worse… Hey, you shouldn't be here, kid. This is a bad, bad place. Heck, I don't even know why I'm here. Get out while you can," he advised Tristan. The Kalosian shook his head, however.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'll be staying here." The driver mumbled something. It was his turn to shake his head.

"You're a fool if you want to stay here, kid. I technically can't stop you, though." Tristan didn't respond. The teen turned on his heel and ran back towards Dash and Monica, who were still frozen in place.

"Okay, we need to move, and fast. We need to find Blade, someone, anyone! There's nothing we can do now except stop Deivis." A deep chuckle was heard. Tristan turned his head in confusion, and Dash and Monica were jarred from their stupor.

Three adults walked forward. The one on the left was a very pale woman. Her black hair framed her face. She tucked a sole streak of red hair behind her ear. A bright red shirt and black sweater covered her thin body, as did a pair of black pants. Black boots met the ground as she took her steps.

The man in the middle, who was at least a foot taller than the girl, smirked as he took long strides forward. His short blond hair looked as if it hadn't been combed ever. His two eyes, one black and one red, scanned the three teens. Black pants led into a gray, tight-fitting shirt. A black cape flowed behind him.

The man on the right was no stranger to Dash, Monica or Tristan. Josh, with his plain black attire, smirked at the kids and folded his arms. It was safe to say that the trio had a penchant for black.

"Oh, how I've been waiting to kick your butt, Tristan!" Josh shouted confidently. The two standing next to him smirked.

"Who are you three clowns? Deivis admins?" Dash inquired with narrowed eyes. The girl across from him smiled.

"What do you know, Drew? The kid's smarter than you are!" she exclaimed. Drew scowled.

"Shut it, Trinity. Anyways, kid, you're correct. You're staring at the three Deivis admins." Monica crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"I'm hardly impressed," she spat. Drew merely chuckled.

"You'll wish you hadn't said that when we're through with you, shorty!" the tallest admin bellowed. Drew stepped forward and extended his arm, the end of which held a sole Poké Ball. Josh and Trinity mirrored his action.

Dash, Monica and Tristan took a step back and all held a Poké Ball out, preparing for the worst. The six humans, however, were cut off by the sound of a gun being fired. A blood-curdling scream was heard shortly after. Tristan's head snapped towards the sound. One of the ambulance drivers, the one Tristan had spoken to, slumped over in his seat. The driver's crimson blood trickled down the ambulance's steering wheel.

The teen turned his head back to see a figure brush past Drew. The person was even shorter than Trinity. The perpetrator let out a hearty laugh and holstered their gun.

"Ah, it never gets old," was all that they said. Dash, Tristan and Monica were speechless. Just who was this person?

"No? Nobody's going to say anything?" The armed person laughed once again as they continued to move ahead of Drew. Their dark gray boots clacked against the ground as they stepped forward. Tristan would've glared a hole through the person's eyes had he been able to see them, but the criminal's face was hidden behind a plain, black mask.

A pitch-black hood covered the rest of their head and led into a flowing black cape. The cape was tied in front of their neck. The three teens were also able to notice that the person before them wore gray garments.

"Well, if you won't say anything, I will. I'm the leader of Deivis, but you can call me the leader of Deivis." The masked maniac pointed to their self with hands covered by crimson gloves.

Monica scowled.

"You're insane, that's what you are!" She proclaimed, not afraid to hold her tongue. Jordan clutched their chest with both hands and stumbled backwards theatrically.

"Oh, how your words wound me!" they cried with false misery. Suddenly, the leader of Deivis corrected their posture and took another step towards the wary teens. Chuckling darkly, the caped criminal moved their hand to their waist. They snapped a Poké Ball off of their belt and held it out for Monica, Dash and Tristan to see.

"Battle me right here and right now. I've grown bored of blowing up Lumiose," they demanded spontaneously. Their hand flew to their waist, and the Deivis leader's hand held fast to their gun once again.

The masked mastermind's armed arm extended towards the civilians by the ambulance. The group of innocents shrieked in terror and cowered behind the medical vehicle. Jordan grinned with twisted pleasure behind their mask.

"Or someone will meet Arceus a bit early."

"But-!" Drew cried out in protest. The blond admin was cut off when his boss raised their hand.

"Silence, Drew. I will handle these three alone. Do you remember that mission I gave you all? Do it, NOW." Not desiring to put up a fight, Drew sighed, nodded meekly, and turned around. The tallest admin fled towards Prism Tower, and Josh and Trinity were close behind.

Jordan laughed once again and plucked two more capture devices from their belt, holstering their gun in the process.

"If you want to even try to save Lumiose, you'll have to go through me! Let's end this, Jellicent, Golurk and Nidoking!"

In front of the Deivis leader appeared three Pokémon: Jellicent, the blue squid with a large head and beady, red eyes; Golurk, the bluish-green titan that seemed to be wearing armor with strange yellow accents; Nidoking, the bipedal, purple creature with a long tail and a fearsome horn that protruded out from his head.

The three teens refused to be intimidated, however, and called upon their allies.

"It looks like we have no choice! Greninja, let's do this!"

"You, too, Delphox!"

"Chesnaught, take 'em down!" The three starter Pokémon stood side by side, ready to do whatever if took to eliminate their opponents. Jordan smirked beneath their mask.

"This should be good! Jellicent, Golurk, Nidoking, you three can do whatever you wish during this battle!" Cackling, the masked leader of Deivis took a step back to watch the action.

"We'll split up into one on one fights, alright?" Dash barked. The other two nodded and exhaled deeply. Their palms became sweaty.

This wasn't a battle just for them; it was a battle to protect the city of Lumiose and the people who lived in it.

**X – X – X – X**

"Delphox, use Shadow Ball!" Monica shouted, throwing her hand forward. The bipedal fire type held out the wand in her hand and formed shadowy energy at the tip of it. With a cry, Delphox shot the ghost type attack forward.

With a snicker, Jellicent floated out of the way of the attack and countered with an icy beam of energy.

"Answer with Flamethrower!" Delphox nodded and reared her head back. Seconds later, the fox opened her mouth and unleashed an intense wave of flames that decimated Ice Beam in an instant. Jellicent, in a panic, ceased its use of Ice Beam and floated away, though not very quickly.

The ghost type's lack of speed allowed Delphox to follow up with a swift Shadow Ball to the face. With its eyes screwed shut in pain, Jellicent was knocked backwards as the Shadow Ball attack exploded. Monica grinned, and barked another order.

Delphox dashed across the battlefield obediently and landed right in front of Jellicent. The starter Pokémon waved her wand in front of Jellicent's face and fired off many rounds of pink rings. Her water type opponent, however, floated above the sleep-inducing attack and slammed his head into Delphox's.

The fire type stumbled back while clutching her head in pain, giving Jellicent plenty of time to strike back. The jellyfish grunted lowly and spat out a disgusting wad of sludge towards Delphox, who was unable to dodge. The bipedal creature took the poison type attack to the gut and fell flat on her back, hitting the hard brick road of Lumiose.

Jellicent, showing no mercy, flew over to where the injured fox lay and hummed as it raised its tentacles into the air. Black energy surrounded the water type's appendages, and the energy began to channel into one orb over the jellyfish's head. The sphere suddenly pulsed and opened up like an eye, revealing an ominous, red iris.

"Delphox, you have to get up!" Monica pleaded. Her first Pokémon friend panted as it sat up while clutching her stomach. The injured fox attempted to rise to its feet, but winced as purple static overtook her. Delphox slumped to the ground as Jellicent finished his attack.

The water type cried out as he threw his tentacles down towards Delphox. The eerie eye above his head widened and fired off a pitch-black laser. The beam struck Delphox and exploded on contact, throwing the psychic type into her trainer. Monica's yell of shock turned into a wheeze as the bipedal creature crashed into her.

The blond fell backwards, the weight of Delphox assisting in her descent. With a thud, the girl's head slammed against the pavement. Delphox rolled off of her trainer, too tired and too sore to move.

The fire type glanced over and nudged her trainer. There was no response. Delphox sighed weakly and closed her eyes as Jellicent approached overhead. The ghost type was humming lowly again, already preparing a second Hex attack.

She had let herself and her trainer down.

**X – X – X – X**

"Spiky Shield, Chesnaught!" Dash barked as he threw his arm to the side. Chesnaught grunted and held his arms up, allowing the spikes on his body to extend menacingly. The grass type's bipedal opponent skidded to a halt, but it was too little too late.

Nidoking roared in pain as Chesnaught's spikes dug into his skin. The purple powerhouse thrashed about violently and slapped at the back of Chesnaught's legs ruthlessly with his tail.

The grass and fighting type's legs wobbled as he crashed to the ground, and Nidoking cracked his knuckles with a smirk. The Drill Pokémon suddenly slammed his fist on the ground and cracked the streets with ease. Chesnaught rushed to his feet at the display of power.

"While he's close, Hammer Arm!" Chesnaught lurched forward as his arm harbored a brilliant sheen, and he swung at Nidoking. The poison type caught the attack with his tail, smirked, and wagged his finger tauntingly. As soon as he did, a pillar of lava erupted from the ground, blowing Chesnaught away.

The grass type landed on his back and cracked the pavement from Nidoking's potent Earth Power, and the heavyweight struggled to his feet. However, Dash's first Pokémon had no time to rest, as Nidoking bent down and latched on to Chesnaught's arm.

With a grunt, the mighty Pokémon lifted Chesnaught and swung him around like a ragdoll. Nidoking slammed the grass type to the ground with a proud roar. Dash frowned. He was letting Chesnaught get destroyed out there because of his incompetence.

"Chesnaught, Seed Bomb!" Dash shouted finally. The teen hoped to be a bit more careful about his approach this time around. Though flat on his stomach, Chesnaught glowed green and catapulted three massive seeds out of his back, which crashed into Nidoking and exploded.

The formidable Pokémon grumbled in annoyance and stumbled backwards, seeming to take little damage from the attack. This, however, gave Chesnaught enough time to stand. Nidoking snarled and slammed the ground with his fist again.

"Spiky Shield!" Dash countered quickly. Though Nidoking's scarily powerful attack burst through the earth, Chesnaught's quick maneuvering allowed him to guard against it. However, when the grass type lowered his guard again, he looked up to see a five-pronged blast of fire zooming towards him.

The all-consuming fire crashed into the hefty Pokémon's chest and exploded on contact. Chesnaught roared as he was slammed to the ground for the umpteenth time.

"You've got to get up, Chesnaught!" Dash urged. He couldn't let Jordan win. The fighting type grumbled as he leaned on one of his knees for support. His breathing was ragged, and multiple abrasions littered his body from Nidoking's merciless assault.

A sudden scream snatched Dash's attention for a split second.

The tall teen glanced to the left just in time to see Monica yell in surprise as Delphox collided with her torso. The duo crashed to the ground.

"Monica!" he hollered in concern.

"Dash!" Chesnaught snapped. Wide eyed, Dash whirled around to see his starter engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Nidoking. Nidoking suddenly delivered a vicious uppercut to the grass type's chin, sending him airborne through sheer strength.

"Chesnaught, no!" Dash screamed. Nidoking stared the concerned teen in the eyes and smirked maniacally before rearing his head back and unleashing another Fire Blast into the air. The speedy fire attack caught Chesnaught in the chest and exploded violently yet again.

With a faint groan, Chesnaught plummeted to the ground like a meteor. Shards of the pavement flew into the air. Dash stood in place, frozen by shock.

He had failed to stop Nidoking. The poison type had possessed such raw power! The sound of his failure echoed over and over in his head; it sounded like a continuous thump. The teen shook his head and glanced up. On second thought, it was the sound of Nidoking stomping towards him.

The imposing bipedal Pokémon snarled and flew towards Dash with deceptively quick movements. The poison type gripped Dash by the neck and raised him into the air. Dash squirmed in the powerful creature's grasp, but was unable to make him budge. All the action managed to accomplish was encourage Nidoking to tighten his hold on the teen's neck.

Dash gulped.

"_Someone, anyone, help me…_"

**X – X – X – X**

"Greninja, we can't lose this! Water Pulse!" Tristan exclaimed as he pumped his fist. The amphibian nodded and sprinted forward. The elusive creature ran circles around his massive opponent as he gathered aquatic energy in both of his palms. Suddenly, the water type leapt upwards and bashed both spheres into the back of Golurk's skull.

The titan didn't flinch. Instead, the ghost type spun around and bashed Greninja with his enormous fist. The frog screamed in pain as he bounced along the brick road like a ball. Golurk marched forward almost robotically as his sizeable feet shook the earth.

"Greninja, avoid with Shadow Sneak!" Tristan barked hastily. Nodding, the amphibian melted into the ground and sped away. Golurk was unable to track the lurking Pokémon, so he stood in place very patiently.

"Now, use Lick on Golurk's arm and tug!" the teen continued strategically. Greninja suddenly popped out of the ground and extended his seemingly infinite tongue. The muscle wrapped around his massive opponent's arm, and Greninja dug his feet into the street and tugged with all of his might.

Golurk stumbled backwards, unable to brace his self in time. The titan was toppled with a startled cry. Greninja sprinted out of the way as the massive Pokémon fell to the ground. Tristan was shocked, however, when his ghost type opponent stuck his hand out to catch his falling body. Using the road as support, Golurk channeled all of his strength into one arm and pushed his entire body upright.

Tristan gawked at the ground type's power.

"No matter! Greninja, Smack Down!" The shiny Pokémon grunted and formed a dense stone in his mouth before firing it like a cannonball at Golurk's head. The silent Pokémon merely raised his hand to block the attack. The rock crumbled uselessly against the ghost type's palm, frustrating Tristan.

The teen scratched his head. An idea made itself known in his mind abruptly, however, causing him to smirk.

"Approach with Shadow Sneak!" Though the tactic seemed identical to the previous one, Greninja obeyed without hesitation. The creature sank into the shadows silently.

"Now, use Lick to slingshot your way up Golurk's body!" Greninja suddenly burst out of the ground like a mole and extended his incredibly long tongue, which found a hold on Golurks's wrist. The frog reeled the muscle in, and Golurk's unflinching body allowed Greninja to use him as a launch pad.

However, the titan would not sit idly by. With a low hum, Golurk crossed his arms and two rings of stones swirled around his body in an 'X' formation. Suddenly, the ground type raised his hands, and the stones flew off of his body and straight towards Greninja as if they were heat-seeking missiles.

The wide-eyed and airborne Greninja panicked, but his nerves were eased when Tristan's voice reached his ears.

"Water Pulse to block!" Greninja nodded and, after gathering energy in his palm quickly, threw his arm forward. The water type attack burst upon impact with the sharp projectiles, but the resulting waved blew all of them away. Tristan complimented his first Pokémon.

"Nice! Now, use - !" Blue eyes widened as Golurk's arm rigidly snapped behind him. The titan's massive fist, which was coated in crimson energy, bashed Greninja's head and sent him rocketing towards the ground.

The frog screamed in pain as he hit the road like a sack of bricks. The deafening sound elicited a shiver from Tristan.

"Greninja, no!" the fifteen-year-old cried out. The shiny Pokémon slumped over in pain, and fell flat on his back. He coughed weakly.

"Can you go on, Greninja?" Tristan inquired meekly. The starter shook his head.

"Not this time…" Tristan gulped at the words of defeat. The teen glanced up at Jordan's overpowering Pokémon.

Golurk cracked his knuckles and plodded forward as stones began to rotate around his body. Tristan paled.

**X – X – X – X**

Dash and Tristan looked across the circle and made eye contact. The tall teen wore a look of hopelessness, as did Tristan. The brown haired teen mouthed the word sorry to his friend.

"Brave Bird! Gyro Ball! Knock Off!" a voice bellowed. Out of nowhere, three figures crashed onto the battlefield. A large, metallic bird landed in front of Tristan with a defensive squawk. A disk-like, spiky creature fell to the ground with a thud before Dash. Bisharp dropped to the ground acrobatically in front of Monica.

Simultaneously, the three creatures leapt forward. The bird sped forward and, as his body shone a blinding blue, crashed into Golurk's chest. The massive Pokémon roared in pain and stumbled backwards before landing back-first on the ground. The ghost type clutched his chest in pain.

Bisharp sprinted forward and concentrated murky purple and black energy over his palm. The dark type bashed his palm over Jellicent's head and spiked the blue creature into the ground. The squid winced from the impact and shied away from his opponent in an instant.

The strange spiny creature spun wildly as a silver aura overtook him, and he slammed into Nidoking's knees. The bipedal Pokémon immediately relinquished his grip on Dash and stumbled backwards. The thorny Pokémon's assault was not over, however, as he continued to apply pressure on Nidoking's body. The purple Pokémon roared and fell to the ground while clutching his legs.

Tristan and Dash both turned their heads in shock.

"Blade!" the duo greeted simultaneously. The black haired teen smiled and saluted them with a two finger wave as he waltzed forward.

"It's good to see you two. I wish it were under different circumstances, however." His audience nodded solemnly. Blade grinned despite the situation, however.

"You all did an excellent job, Skarmory, Ferrothorn and Bisharp," the black-wearing trainer lauded. The three steel types responded with sounds of appreciation. The happy reunion was cut short by an enraged growl, however. Golurk, Jellicent and Nidoking disappeared in multiple flashes. Jordan stomped forward; the mere sound of their boots slapping the brick road was enough to give away their anger.

"Oh, look what the International Police dragged in!" the Deivis leader snarled. Blade chuckled.

"Love you, too!" he shot back with an added smirk.

"Enough chat!" Jordan barked as they adjusted their mask, "You police freaks have harassed me enough! I won't let you hold my plans up any longer; DIE!" The masked maniac's hand flashed to their belt, and the leader of Deivis aimed their gun straight at Blade's head.

Before the powerful teen could even blink, Ferrothorn's arm extended and bashed Jordan's armed arm. Cursing wildly, the mysterious human clutched their hand in pain and allowed their gun to fall to the ground. Bisharp dashed forward and snagged the dangerous weapon and threw his shoulder into Jordan's chest. The assaulted person stumbled backwards, but managed to stay upright.

Jordan continued releasing a string of expletives.

"You may have caught me off guard now, but I'll still have the last laugh, Blade!" The Deivis boss snapped a smoke bomb off of their belt and threw it straight towards Blade. The teen shielded his eyes from the smoke-producing device.

When the smoke cleared, Jordan was nowhere to be seen. Dash sighed as he rubbed his aching neck.

"Where did that rat go?" he grumbled. Blade shrugged as he knelt next to Monica.

"We'll get there in a second. Dash, are you okay with watching your friend? She seems to be unconscious for now. Tristan and I will go flag down any Deivis members we can." Dash nodded emphatically.

"I'll do what I can. Good luck, you two!" Tristan flashed the teen a thumbs up and nodded towards Prism Tower. Blade recognized the cue and recalled Skarmory and Ferrothorn, but chose to leave Bisharp out and about.

"Deivis' leader said something about their admins carrying out a special mission. They fled to Prism Tower, but I don't know why," Tristan informed him. The teen's blackish-gray eyes widened at the information.

"We should probably hurry, then!" he said with urgency behind his words.

"Why?" Tristan interrogated as Bisharp crushed Jordan's gun with his bare hands. Blade muttered something and commenced with rushing towards Prism Tower; Bisharp followed.

"No time! We need to get going right now!" Tristan gulped as he recalled Greninja.

He didn't like where this was going.

**X – X – X – X**

"Hey, International Police man! Come out; come out, wherever you are! I don't want to have to **look **for you any longer," Drew called out with cupped hands. Trinity rolled her eyes.

"That was a terrible joke, you idiot," the woman muttered. Josh shrugged.

"Terrible it may be, but I agree. Looker, fight us like a man!" he bellowed. The shout echoed throughout the nearly hollow metal room. The three admins grumbled as they searched the International Police's underground meeting space. Bored, Drew kicked chairs to the ground carelessly.

There was no sign of anyone.

"Well, we can't just sit here!" Trinity snapped. The black haired female paced around the room, searching for any clues. The admin's ears picked up the faint sound of doorknob turning to the left. Trinity leapt backwards and held a Poké Ball out defensively.

"Back me up, you two!" she barked. Drew and Josh nodded and ran to her side, holding out capture devices of their own. Suddenly, a solitary figure burst through the door in the back. Josh's lips curled to form a toothy grin.

"Ah, a gym leader! Tell us where Looker is!" The blond figure shook their head vehemently.

"Not a chance!" Korrina shot back.

"We'll force the answer out of you, then!" Josh snapped. Drew suddenly stepped forward and used his outstretched arm to prevent Josh from stepping forward.

"I'll take this fight!" he proclaimed with a smirk. Josh rolled his eyes.

"No you won't," the black-haired male shot back. Drew chuckled and took a step forward.

"Relax, Josh, you can battle someone else." Korrina's eyes narrowed at the back and forth between the two admins.

"Lucario and I will fight any opponent!" the gym leader bellowed as she tossed a Poké Ball into the air. The device opened with a bright flash of light. In front of Korrina was Lucario, a Pokémon that resembled a jackal. Though his appendages were mostly black, part of his body was blue as well. Cream-colored fur covered his torso. Three spikes jutted out of his body: two on the backs of his hands and one in the center of his chest.

The appearance of the powerful Pokémon only made Drew's grin wider. The blond admin plucked a Poké Ball from his belt and tossed the device into the air.

"Machamp, the fight's yours!" he cried out confidently. In a flash of light, an extremely muscular, four-armed humanoid creature dropped onto the floor with an excited grin that matched his trainer's. Two of his arms punched the air eagerly while the other two were busy flexing.

"Ha, this will be easy! Machamp, Dual Chop on Lucario!" Drew barked after his initial taunt, calling the well-muscled creature into action. Machamp smirked and sprinted forward with his arms crossed and coated in cobalt energy.

The four-armed combatant neared Lucario in no time at all, but Korrina was not keen on letting her Pokémon take a hit.

"Block with Bone Rush, Lucario!" the fighting user ordered. The jackal grunted in recognition and spread his hands out. His two paws suddenly clamped down upon a bone of solid blue energy, and the steel type twirled the weapons about skillfully before swinging at Machamp.

Machamp grunted as his energy-covered hands clashed repeatedly with Lucario's bone staff. The two battled back and forth for several seconds before Machamp jabbed straight through the staff and clobbered Korrina's strongest Pokémon.

Lucario crashed to the ground while clutching his head, eliciting a look of worry from Korrina. However, the girl on skates was quick to react.

"Get up and use Force Palm!" she barked. Lucario suddenly flipped up and pointed his palm at Machamp. The jackal sprinted forward and placed his hand on his unsuspecting opponent's chest. With a shout, Lucario's palm exploded with energy and rocketed Machamp into the wall.

The four-armed humanoid crashed into the metal wall behind him and cracked it because of his weight, but he leapt back to the ground unscathed. Korrina and Lucario were unnerved when Machamp stomped forward and slid his thumb across his throat. Drew cleared his throat.

"Dynamic Punch, and go quickly this time!" he shouted to his most trusted partner. Machamp grinned and sprinted forward at a speed at least twice that of his previous one as all four of his fists were enveloped in an ominous crimson energy. The muscular creature lunged forward.

"Dodge!" Korrina stammered suddenly. Lucario suddenly ducked and rolled to the side as Machamp ran past him, but the bulky fighting type's fist suddenly snapped back and bashed Lucario's head into the floor without Machamp even turning his head. Korrina gawked at the sight.

"Lucario, no!" The jackal coughed up blood weakly as he struggled to his feet. Machamp began to circle Korrina's partner while jeering at the steel type. Lucario finally rose to his feet while panting heavily. Machamp was extremely powerful, and Lucario was now very familiar with that fact.

"We're not giving up though! We can't, right, Lucario?" the gym leader asked rhetorically. The Aura Pokémon grimaced in pain but nodded slowly. The injured Pokémon glanced back to his trainer and stared her in the eyes. He nodded once again, prompting Korrina to raise her hand in the air.

"That's right, we're not backing down! Mega evolve!" Korrina screamed as she made contact with the bracelet on her wrist. Lucario roared as a pink egg of energy enclosed him. The dual type Pokémon burst out of the bubble just as quickly in a sudden surge of power. The new Lucario assumed a battle stance and held out its now crimson paws.

His feet, too, became covered in crimson fur, but also formed two small spikes. Lucario's now much slimmer legs sliced through the air surgically. The mega evolved Pokémon snarled and held his fist towards Machamp threateningly.

Drew whistled, mildly impressed.

"Fancy! But flashy lights gets you nowhere in a battle, girly! Machamp, Bullet Punch!" Machamp cracked his knuckles and seemed to race across the battlefield at the speed of light, his fists shrouded in a thick coat of metal. Lucario couldn't even blink as the lightning-fast attack caught him in the jaw.

The jackal was quick to recover, however, and jabbed back at Machamp with aura surrounding his paw. The four-armed force of nature grabbed the strike, however, and sank his fist into Lucario's gut. The mega evolved Pokémon wheezed and was sent soaring into the wall behind him.

Korrina frowned at Machamp's ridiculous display of power.

"Come right back at him with Extreme Speed, Lucario!" the blond demanded urgently. With a nod, the steel type sprang off of the wall and straight towards Machamp. The buff Pokémon chuckled and threw his fist towards the oncoming Lucario, but hit air.

Lucario materialized out of thin air above Drew's powerhouse and kicked him in the side of the head, spinning for extra power. Machamp shouted in surprise and stumbled to the side, nearly losing his balance. The opportunity gave Korrina another chance to attack, and she didn't fail to capitalize.

"Aura Sphere!" Lucario landed smoothly and threw his two hands behind his back. Humming lowly, the jackal began to gather an intense sphere of blue energy between his palms. The attack radiated and spun powerfully as the Aura Pokémon flung it toward Machamp at a high speed.

Caught off guard, Machamp took the potent attack to the face and was launched into the nearby meeting table. The fighting type's sheer weight, as well as Lucario's power, was enough to crack the table in half and turn the chairs into splinters. Machamp stood up and wiped a streak of blood from his chin before cracking his neck.

Drew reared his head back and laughed.

"It's been fun, but we need to find Looker. Machamp, Fire Blast, pronto!" With a devilish smirk, Machamp extended all four of his arms in different directions. Suddenly, a flaming 'X' appeared in front of his body. The Superpower Pokémon grunted and threw his arms forward, allowing his fiery attack to take off through the air.

The powerful attack zipped across the room, spreading its unbearable heat as it went. The four-pronged attack threatened to clobber Lucario, who was looking weaker by the second, but the jackal managed to barely sidestep the attack to Korrina's relief.

The feeling was short-lived, however, when Machamp's Fire Blast whizzed past Lucario and turned around almost immediately. The all-consuming fire crashed into Lucario's back, causing the Aura Pokémon to shriek in anguish and he was thrown violently to the ground.

Smoke arose from the dual type's back as he devolved to his regular form. A shaking Korrina returned her ace as Machamp flexed. The Superpower Pokémon had lived up to his name. Josh and Trinity shook their heads in disbelief.

Had they seen Machamp before? Yes. Did they know that Drew was, if they were being honest, the most powerful admin? Yes. Were they **still **surprised that the well-built Pokémon was able to take on a Mega Lucario with ease? Definitely.

Drew grinned and stepped forward alongside Machamp, not noticing the incredulous looks that his teammates were giving him.

"Now, tell me where Looker is!" the Deivis admin demanded. Korrina shook her head nervously as she backpedaled towards the nearest wall. An angered Machamp shook his head disapprovingly and approached the frightened woman.

He slammed his fist into the wall and ripped out a sheet of metal with ease before crumpling it like paper and tossing it over his shoulder. The intimidation tactic clearly worked, as Korrina backed herself into a corner.

Suddenly, a 'ding' could be heard. The four people in the underground meeting room snapped their heads towards the sound, curious to see who would walk out of the elevator. Jordan came sprinting into the room.

"Ah, boss!" Josh greeted with a grin. The masked maniac chuckled and tipped the hat that they didn't have. Jordan raised an eyebrow that nobody could see.

"Is she not talking? Make her squeal, then! Some IP members should be right behind me!" The admins were taken aback by the declaration.

"D-did you lose?" Trinity inquired boldly. Jordan glared at her, and though Trinity could not see it, her boss' turn of the head was enough to shut her up.

"No, no I didn't. My weakest Pokémon were enough to mutilate those teens. But, I didn't want to fight Blade, Tristan and Dash at the same time! Now get going, Drew!" the Deivis leader barked. The blond admin nodded quickly and turned back to Korrina, who was cornered by Machamp.

"I'll say it again: Where's Looker?" Drew interrogated, this time with more venom in his words. Machamp gripped the woman's neck for emphasis. Korrina shook her head and began to kick her legs vehemently; she was running out of air at an alarming rate.

"Thunderbolt!" a mysterious voice shouted. Out of nowhere, a lightning bolt zoomed through the air and blasted the ground in front of Machamp, blinding everyone for a split second. Before Machamp could open his eyes again, a fist jabbed him in the stomach and sent him rolling into the nearby table, which sustained even more damage.

Clemont jogged forward and knelt by Korrina's side, making sure that his fellow gym leader was safe. The blue-wearing trainer glanced up and thanked Machamp's assailant: a bipedal, yellow creature with short arms and legs.

The electric type hopped in front of Clemont with a smile. The gym leader's Pokémon tapped its white stomach confidently and twitched its yellow and black striped ears. The most striking thing about the creature, however, was its flowing white mane and tail of a similar aesthetic. Bright, red jewels accented the tail and mane.

The Deivis members scowled.

"Another gym leader…" Josh grumbled. Clemont, stone faced, rose to his feet.

"You're not finding Looker! Ampharos, be on your guard!" he instructed as he adjusted his glasses. Jordan scoffed as they waltzed forward.

"I'd like to see you two beat even one of the admins! Drew's Machamp could probably take on your Mega Ampharos and Korrina's Mega Lucario with three arms tied behind his back!" they challenged. Clemont gulped, knowing that the masked figure was probably correct.

The glasses-wearing trainer, however, put on a brave face.

"We'll see about that!" Everyone took pause after the electric user's statement; another 'ding' echoed through the damaged meeting room. The elevator opened, and out rushed Blade and Tristan. Jordan scowled as the two sprinted across the room.

But, though the number of people was even on both sides, it was clear to the four International Police members that their fight was not easily managed, if it could be managed at all.

"We're not letting you have Looker, or anyone for that matter!" Tristan shouted confidently, having been informed by Blade during their descent into the meeting room. The four Deivis members laughed.

"It'll be like taking candy from a baby, dear Tristan," Trinity teased as she held up a Poké Ball. Josh mirrored the dark haired girl's action. Tristan reached for Manectric's Poké Ball, and Blade's Bisharp pointed his knife-like hand at Drew's Machamp.

Another insignificant sound interrupted the brawling eight once again. Korrina glanced down and fished something from her pocket. The fighting user's eyes scanned the device in her hand and her eyes lit up.

"Clemont, Blade…" she said. The two powerful trainers glanced at each other and nodded. Jordan's eyes widened.

"NO!" the masked menace screamed as they lurched forward, "You didn't!" Blade smirked as Bisharp slid between him and Jordan defensively; the Deivis leader seemed close to ripping someone's head off.

"Have fun **looking **for Looker!" the steel type user said with a cheeky grin. Jordan bellowed in frustration.

"You three, as much as I'd love to wipe these fools off of the face of the earth, we're leaving!" The masked mastermind slammed a chair against the floor in rage and stormed towards the elevator, and Josh, Trinity and Drew were close behind.

"Who said anything about leaving? Ampharos, Dragon Pulse!" Clemont commanded as he threw his hand forward.

"Fire Blast, Machamp!" hollered Drew. Clemont's Pokémon reared his head back and threw his neck forward with his jaws open. The mega evolved Pokémon grunted and unleashed a wicked beam of draconic energy that surged towards Machamp, but the brutish Pokémon loosed a powerful 'X' shaped blast of fire towards the incoming attack.

Both attacks collided midair and battled back and forth for control. The two potent attacks collided with each other and created a flurry of sparks. Finally, the two attacks lost their momentum and exploded violently, shaking the walls and ceiling of the underground meeting area. A large plume of smoke filled the middle of the room, and everyone shielded their eyes.

As the smoke cleared, Tristan frowned. Deivis was gone.

**X – X – X – X**

Monica groaned as she sat up and rubbed her head. The girl's eyes shot wide open when she realized what was going done. In a panic, the blonde's head turned as if on a swivel. She was still lying in the middle of Lumiose's road next to Prism Tower. Prism Tower's peak still sat in the middle of the circle, and groups of terrified citizens littered the area.

Turning her head once again, the girl was puzzled when she saw Tristan, Clemont and Korrina in the distance, sprinting in different directions.

Dash, meanwhile was jogging back towards Monica. The tall teen knelt beside the girl, who was still in pain from her crash with Delphox.

"Are you alright?" Dash inquired in concern. Monica nodded as she rose to her feet with Dash's help.

"Yeah. What happened?" The energetic teen shook his head.

"I'll explain later. We need to flag down Deivis right now." With a flick of his wrist, Dash summoned his Aerodactyl. The dark-skinned teen hopped onto the rock type's back.

"Meet up with Tristan and the others! I'll go catch up with Blade!" he ordered.

"There's no need." The sudden voice caused the two teens to jump. Blade sighed as he leapt off of Skarmory's back, prompting Dash to do the same. Monica flashed the teen an inquisitive look.

"What happened?" she wondered. The weary trainer muttered something under his breath.

"I went to chase those Deivis jerks along with Tristan, Clemont and Korrina, but three clones of the group suddenly appeared. The four groups split up and we all chose to chase one. But, they suddenly disappeared. It seems they've eluded us," he replied.

Monica frowned as she looked at a city still submerged in chaos. The destructive group had escaped and gotten away with too much. Not too far away, Tristan clenched his fists in anger and disappointment. The words he had chanted earlier in the day echoed in his head.

"_You'll get what's coming to you, I promise!_" was what he had sworn in his mind.

"Apparently today's not that day," the Kalosian muttered. Deivis had won the battle for Lumiose, and Tristan could only hope that it was their final victory.

Something told him it wasn't going to be.

**X – X – X – X**

**Wuuuut! Deivis is insane confirmed? _ **

**Seriously though, Deivis just made a really bold move! They just decided that causing chaos and confusion was totally okay with them, so five bombings happened all across Lumiose. Oh, don't forget about their kick-butt Pokémon and merciless killing.**

**1-Opinions on Deivis' plan/execution of it?**

**2-What do you think of Drew and Jordan's Pokémon (especially their power)? Did you expect Jordan to be able to demolish Tristan, Monica and Dash so easily?**

**3-Did you like the battles?**

**So, I hope you all enjoyed. Until next time!**


	37. Chapter 37 - Life Goes On

**Ayyyy! Hello, everyone!**

**So, it seems that you all enjoyed chapter 36 a lot. I'm glad you did! It took me a while, and it's a joy to see people love it. Deivis is confirmed to be insane, yes or no? Eh, oh well. Reviews!**

** El Torro – Deivis is SO vicious! Yep, Jordan is verrry serious and kind of intense. XD Monica, Dash and Tristan definitely got crushed. The only reason Monica wasn't mentioned was Jordan knew she was out cold. 1) Deivis will not hesitate to go "all out" with their assaults, as you can see. You'll also see this as the story progresses. 2) Such power, right? XD Jordan's team is quite scary, especially when her other three Pokémon show up. 3) I'm glad you enjoyed the battles! I tried. XD**

** Warrior of Hope – Hyyype! I'm glad you liked it! As for what Korrina did, you'll find out soon enough. X3 1) Bombing like crazy. Deivis loves their explosives… 2) Powerful indeed! The question is, will they every really lose? :O 3) They got crushed, most definitely. Jordan will definitely show their Pokémon at some point in the future, and they'll be just as devastating. XD**

** MysticBeatz21 – 1) Oh, they got away with sooo much last chapter. Blade could've given them a run for their money, but 4 vs. 1 is not a favorable fight. What could be worse than bombing Lumiose? You'll see… 2) Oh, they got more than bodied! Machamp stomped on even Korrina's Mega Lucario. Insanity. 3) I mean, to be fair, Jordan wouldn't have let the three die. If you recall, the masked maniac has said before that the three are important.**

**Thanks, everyone, for reviewing and for the support on 36! Now, I present to you chapter 37! I hope you enjoy it!**

**X – X – X – X**

**Chapter 37 – Life Goes On**

"I haaaate mornings!" Monica groaned. Dash sighed while Tristan shook his head.

"We know, Monica! In fact, we understood that the first three times!" Tristan shot back. Monica folded her arms over her chest and closed her eyes. The three teens sat in silence for a brief moment, taking refuge in their typical corner of the Pokémon Center.

"I'm tired," the blond muttered. Dash facepalmed.

"Tired or not, we have to get going! Blade said it was important," the tall teen urged as he tugged on the girl's arm. With a surprised yelp, Monica fell out of her chair and onto the floor, drawing the gazes of the few trainers in the building. The spectators gave Dash a glare, and he grinned sheepishly. Monica rose to her feet and dusted her clothing off.

"Fine. Let's just get this over with." With a nod, Dash spun on his heel and strode out of the red-roofed building the trio was in. Tristan and Monica were quick to follow.

As the group of three shuffled their way down the streets of Lumiose, the city was oddly silent and unusually peaceful. After the events of yesterday, no one dared to leave their home. The noise, or lack thereof, unnerved Tristan. He wasn't sure if he preferred a city drowning in chaos or one that resembled a ghost town.

On the bright side, with the city in its current state, traversing the many streets and boulevards was no trouble for the trio of trainers. The teens reached the center of the largest city in Kalos in no time at all. The sole thing that made a noise in Lumiose City was the crew of workers who were attempting to haul the pinnacle of Prism Tower out of the way.

The three frowned as they remembered the events of the previous day, but brushed past the laboring men to slip into the base of Prism Tower. After reaching the elevator and pressing a few buttons, Tristan, Dash and Monica began their descent.

A ding from the elevator signaled the opening of the doors, as well as the trio's arrival at their destination. A grateful Dash leapt out of the elevator, happy to be able to move freely again. Tristan chuckled while Monica rolled her eyes at the dark skinned teen's antics.

"I see you've made it," a voice spoke. At the end of the long hall that led to the underground meeting room was a lone figure in blue.

"Oh, hey, Clemont!" Monica greeted with a wave. The electric user nodded with a smile and mirrored her action. The three teens were motioned to the end of the hallway by the gym leader, and the group of four entered the meeting room in silence.

The area was trashed, but that was to be expected after yesterday's events. The large, rectangular table in the middle of the room, one made of solid wood, was still split down the middle. Several chairs were broken and splintered, strewn across the room. The sturdy, metal walls of the room had a few holes in them from the merciless battle of Drew's Machamp, and the floor was no different.

Clemont cleared his throat as he spoke up.

"Follow me to the back, if you will," he instructed with brevity. The trainers behind him nodded though he was unable to see the actions. The four continued on in silence as Clemont led them to the single door in the back. He opened the door and waved the trio inside.

What the three walked into was a rather small office area. There was a desk that sat against the back wall, and multiple computer monitors were perched on it. In the corner to the right of the door was a trashcan, while the other corner held a potted plant. The right wall was decorated by another door that was wide open. Talking could be heard in the other room.

Tristan, Dash and Monica exchanged glances. What were they doing here, and who was in the other room? Clemont, however, pushed forward without hesitation and disappeared into the other room. The three teens had no choice but to follow.

After entering, the wary trainers were pleasantly surprised to see Blade talking to someone on the phone as Clemont listened in. The gym leader tapped the dark-haired boy on the shoulder and nodded his head toward the door. Blade turned around and, seeing Tristan, Dash and Monica, nodded.

"Hold on," Blade instructed. The command was directed towards whomever Blade was having a conversation with. After moving the device away from his face, Blade smiled.

"It's good to see you all here on such short notice. After yesterday's events, we have some talking to do," he stated solemnly. Then, with sudden movements, the steel user slipped past the trio and into the other room. The four remaining trainers followed the teen with their eyes as he sat down in the only chair in front of the desk. Blade leaned forward and, after grabbing a cord off of the desk, connected his phone to a computer monitor.

As the screen flashed to life, the powerful trainer waved the spectators into the office without even glancing back. The quartet positioned themselves behind Blade as a familiar face appeared on the screen.

"I see you've brought guests," the man remarked. Blade smirked.

"Of course I did. You and I both thought it was a good idea, Looker," countered the steel user. The detective, whose hair was graying, nodded.

"Exactly. We need to talk about Deivis."

"What about them? If anything, I want to know where you are right now, Looker!" Dash opined. The head of the International Police sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I guess we'll explain that, too…" Looker glanced up and stared Dash in the eyes.

"Here's what happened…"

**Flashback**

_Looker, Clemont and Korrina all sat in silence, huddled in the side room of the small office. The three exchanged glanced and shook their heads in disgust as they heard loud noises from above._

"_Is it done yet?" Looker inquired. Clemont shrugged before looking at the tablet in his hand. What he saw made him shake his head 'no', eliciting a frown from Looker._

_"Why do you need to use the teleportation pad, anyway?" Korrina piped up. The detective turned to the fighting user with a glance of condescension, as if she should already know the answer._

"_I need to leave Lumiose and go into hiding. Deivis is out for blood, especially mine…" Korrina gulped at the statement. Suddenly, however, noise from outside the room caught the attention of the three International Police members._

"_That must be Deivis… Clemont, do what you can here. I'll do whatever I can to fend those freaks off," the skater vowed. The intelligent gym leader nodded and glanced back down at his tablet as Korrina rushed out of the room._

_A few minutes passed, and Clemont and Looker were getting increasingly concerned. It sounded like Korrina was getting destroyed out there._

"_What about now, Clemont?" The glasses-wearing teen smirked._

"_It's ready, Looker. Now, you hurry up and escape. I need to get out there and help defend." Looker nodded as he stepped onto a shining circle of light._

"_Be careful out there. I'll let you know when we're all clear." Clemont smirked and exited the room._

**End Flashback**

"So you basically teleported to a hidden location…" Tristan concluded. Looker nodded.

"Precisely. I also destroyed the teleportation pad just so nobody could find me so easily. I notified Korrina afterwards." Monica's eyes widened as she was struck by realization.

"Is that why the Deivis leader got so angry?" Another nod came from Looker.

"Deivis is after my head, so I needed to escape. With me gone, the psychopath lost most of their original motivation for coming here, I think." Dash chuckled.

"They deserved to fail for what they did…" Dash mumbled.

**X – X – X – X**

"If only we hadn't failed! We were SO close!" Jordan seethed with anger as they slammed their hand on their desk. Sitting across from Jordan were Deivis' three admins: Josh, Trinity and Drew. The trio nodded slowly, not wishing to upset their superior.

As Jordan calmed down, however, Drew cleared his throat.

"May I ask a question, Jordan?" the blond admin wondered. The masked menace gestured in a flippant manner, which Drew took as a yes.

"So, uh, what exactly was the purpose for the Lumiose operation, again?" Jordan scowled.

"I'm nearly one hundred percent sure that I've already told you, but I'll repeat myself. Our aim was to cause chaos and kill Looker, remember? If Looker is dead, the International Police will waste time looking for a new leader as well as lose one of their smartest individuals. Also, if the International Police is too concerned with locking down Lumiose City, we're free to move to our next destination." The three admins nodded in unison, impressed by the surprisingly well thought out response.

"Where is our next destination, exactly?" Josh inquired. Jordan grinned toothily.

"The Poké Ball Factory, my dear Josh."

**X – X – X – X**

"So, can we move on?" Blade asked as he glanced pointedly as Dash. The teen chuckled.

"Sorry." Blade shrugged.

"It's fine. Now, about Deivis… Their moves have gotten bolder, as I'm sure you can tell." Everyone nodded, and the pause allowed Looker to interject.

"However, despite this organization throwing themselves out into the world with the attacks on Lumiose and Parfum Palace, we're still not sure what they're after. We know that they've attacked Parfum Palace for something, and as far as I know they've gone after nothing else," the detective admitted. The statements struck a cord with Tristan, however.

"Wait, I know at least one other thing they have!" the brown-haired teen exclaimed suddenly. Everyone raised their eyebrows and glanced at Tristan.

"If what you're about to say is true, this may help a lot," Clemont mused. After Looker shot him a glare, Clemont apologized briefly and motioned for Tristan to continue.

"Well, this happened a while ago, but for whatever reason Josh stole some incenses from Coumarine City," Tristan informed Looker. Monica and Dash looked at each other and nodded.

"That's right! He stole nine total, I think…" the girl muttered. Looker, Blade and Clemont seemed confused by the information.

"Incenses? Why would you need those?" Clemont deliberated the strange instance of theft and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Looker, too, was just as confused.

"Why Deivis would want those is beyond me. I'll see what I can discover about the use of incenses, though. Thank you, Tristan," the fifteen-year-old smiled as Looker continued speaking.

"So, with that important information, the only things left to say are these things: Be on your guard at all times. We don't know when Deivis will strike and frankly, even if we did, it's quite possible that we wouldn't be prepared. Also, if you figure out where Deivis strikes next, and if you have any idea what they try to steal next, tell us immediately." Monica, Tristan and Dash nodded immediately.

"We'll make sure to, Looker," Monica promised. The older man smiled and nodded.

"Excellent. You three may go now." With more nods of recognition, the trio of teens strode out of the room, the thought of Deivis doing something dastardly still fresh in their minds.

Now Looker, Clemont and Blade were alone.

"I don't like it one bit, Looker. Deivis is pursuing some strange items, and we have no idea what their end goal is!" Blade exclaimed with a sigh. The head of the International Police glanced off to the side and hummed, as he seemed to be deep in thought.

"Incenses and most likely the Poké Flute. If they're going after incenses, too, my original guess is thrown way off…" he mused as he scratched his head. Clemont ran a hand through his hair.

"Whatever it is," the blond man began, "I don't like it." The group of three slowly nodded in unison. That was something they could all agree on.

**X – X – X – X**

"So, I guess another chapter of our journey is closing," Tristan stated poetically. Dash and Monica chuckled at the strange way of wording the observation.

"Yep! We're moving on to the next city. As much as I hate to leave it after everything that's happened, the best thing we can do is run into Deivis somewhere and foil their plans," Monica opined. Dash nodded and grinned.

"I'm excited! We're on our way to Laverre City and our sixth badge! Aw yeah!" The energetic team punched the air and sprinted away with a cry of enthusiasm. Monica and Tristan grinned at the tall teen's antics.

The two exchanged glances for a brief moment before they realized the situation on hand.

"Dash, wait up!"

**X – X – X – X**

**That's a wrap for this short chapter! We get to review Deivis' point for going to Lumiose in the first place, cover the circumstances surrounding Looker's disappearance, and get a look at where Deivis will strike next. Oh, our trio is now heading off to Laverre City, too. I hope you enjoyed this short transition chapter.**

**1)Any big predictions for the Laverre City Arc?**

**2) Deivis pls. ;-;**

Tristan's Team:

Gogoat – Level 37 – Seed Bomb, Grass Knot, Bulk Up, Bulldoze

Diggersby – Level 37 – Quick Attack, Return, Dig, Double Kick

Vibrava – Level 38 – Earthquake, Rock Slide, Feint Attack, Bug Buzz

Greninja – Level 39 – Lick, Shadow Sneak, Water Pulse, Smack Down  
Manectric – Level 41 – Discharge, Flamethrower, Quick Attack, Thunder Fang


	38. Chapter 38 - The Quagmire Quandary

**Well! Hello, everyone! Last chapter was a short one, but that's because its main purpose was to transition into this arc, the Laverre Arc! I'm really looking forward to this arc and the next one, and I hope you all are excited! So, let's jump into this!**

** JustinThePokemonMaster – Thanks for the compliment! I see you're short on predictions. You're not the only one. XD Thanks for the review!**

** Warrior of Hope – Oh yeah, it's a pretty sudden transition, but it kinda works. Yep, Korrina received a message from Looker, and Jordan suddenly knew what had happened. The salt was too high. Mega battles you say? Maybe, maybe… A definite in this arc, though, is Deivis' mysterious/crazy nature. :P Thanks for the review!**

** El Torro – Looker is most definitely alive, and has been a thorn in Jordan's side for too long. Laverre hype! :D If you think Jordan is clever now, just wait for the endgame. They're a maniac... But wait, is Jordan Chansey?! (No, no they're not). I don't blame you for not predicting, to be honest. I've tried to be on point with my story being an enigma (or at least Deivis). Thanks for reviewing!**

** Blaze Falcon – They're safe for now… Which means it's sixth badge time indeed! Also, you'll see that Tristan will struggle just like Monica and Dash. Deivis is a powerful force, as you know. (Don't worry, though; Monica and Dash will get something verrry soon).**

**Chapter 38 – The Quagmire Quandary**

"Man, we haven't even been travelling for that long and I'm already hungry!" Tristan declared as he clutched his growling stomach. Monica laughed at the proclamation.

"Well, lucky for you, I packed food!" the blond exclaimed as she dropped her backpack on the ground, "Are you cool with eating now, Dash?" The taller teen grunted and nodded simultaneously, leaving Monica to assume that it was time to eat.

The teen in purple knelt down by her back and fished out three sandwiches, two of which she handed to Dash and Tristan.

"Wait…" Tristan began as Monica stood up while slinging her backpack over her shoulder, "Is that a playground?" The blond turned to see what her friend was talking about and couldn't help but tilt her head in confusion.

"Huh, I guess it is!" The trio approached the structure, which seemed to be worn down. The playground was comprised of a simple room that sat on four pillars. A set of stairs led up to the room, and a slide was attached to the side next to the stairs. Also, not far away from the ordinary structure, there was a small sand box with two benches facing it.

Weighing their options, the trio decided to sit on the steps by the play structure. Dash ate in silence as Monica and Tristan reached for the Poké Balls on their belts. In nine flashes of bright light, the teams of the two trainers were let out into the open. The group of creatures dashed around the area happily, as they were glad that they could run freely.

Monica and Tristan grinned at the sight; if their Pokémon were happy, that was good enough for them.

"Hey Dash, are you going to send your team out?" Monica asked the unusually silent teen. The teen in question shook his head as he took another bite of his sandwich. Monica fought the urge to question her friend's silence.

"So…" Tristan said quietly in hopes of initiating a conversation, "Are you guys excited for the next city?" Monica's eyes lit up.

"You bet I am! I'm winning that sixth badge easily!" the blond cried confidently. The declaration elicited a chuckle from Tristan, who was glad to have something to talk about.

"Yeah, I'm excited, too. Also, I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to completing my team. I haven't managed to run into another Pokémon that I've managed to connect with, though." Monica nodded with understanding.

"Oh man, I get that! I still have four teammates. Every time I think I've found a new friend, the Pokémon ends up running away. I just wish I could complete the team, you know?" Tristan smirked and opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a loud cry of protest.

"Would you shut up? Geez, you're killing me, bird brain!" Tristan sighed and placed his head in his hands.

Of course it was Gogoat.

"Oh please! You're just wishing you could be as half as smart as I am!" Staraptor shot back, adding a squawk for emphasis. Gogoat snarled at the avian and Staraptor glared right back. The two creatures began circling each other as the other seven Pokémon backed up and began to chant… Well, most of them.

"No! You two are not fighting!" Monica snapped.

"Gogoat, don't do it!" Tristan added. The two hotheaded Pokémon ignored their trainers, however, and lunged at each other. Gogoat, being the larger attacker, was able to easily pin his opponent to the ground, leaving Staraptor to squirm under his weight.

Tristan's hand flew to his waist, and the trainer had snapped Gogoat's Poké Ball off of his belt and to his hand in a flash. The fifteen-year-old raised his arm and zapped his grass type into his Poké Ball quickly before he could do any more damage.

Gasping for air, Staraptor stumbled to his feet. The flying type shook his head vigorously as Tristan approached while rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Sorry about that, Staraptor. Gogoat can be a bit… irritable at times," he apologized. The normal type shrugged.

"He's just lucky he didn't have to fight me," the raptor boasted with a smirk. Monica rolled her eyes at the proud creature.

"Well, that was a bit too close for comfort. Staraptor, I don't want you fighting Gogoat, understand?" The bird hung his head for a moment before nodding. Monica smiled and patted Staraptor on the head.

"Awesome. Well, now that that's finished… Hey Dash, are you done with lunch?" The blond didn't hear any response. Tristan whirled around and his jaw dropped.

"Uh… Monica?"

"Yeah?"

"Dash isn't here." The statement caused Monica to spin around swiftly and sprint to the playground.

"What?!" the blond screamed, "Where did he go?" Tristan, concerned yet stone faced, stood by her side and stroked his imaginary beard thoughtfully.

"I… I don't know. We need to go find him, though!" the boy concluded. In multiple flashes of light, Tristan recalled the remainder of his team. Monica mimicked the teen's action, but chose to leave Staraptor out in the open. Tristan muttered something and began to stomp his way towards the rest of Route 14, but was stopped when Monica called out to him.

"Tristan, wait!" The teen spun on his heel, confused.

"I think it's a better idea that you stay here. Think about it: what happens if Dash comes back?" The brown-haired teen paused and contemplated the remark. With a shrug, Tristan walked back towards Monica and resumed sitting on the stairs.

"I guess that makes sense. Just be careful out there." Monica stuck her tongue out as she hoisted her backpack onto her shoulder.

"I'll be fine! Just make sure to contact me if Dash comes back, alright?" Tristan nodded, which drew a wave from Monica.

"Let's go, Staraptor." The blonde's trusted avian squawked and, using his powerful wings, rocketed into the air. Monica sprinted away from the playground with Staraptor soaring overhead.

"_Wherever you are, Dash…_" Tristan mused mentally, "_You better be okay._"

**X – X – X – X**

Dash groaned in frustration as he gathered a few stones in his left hand. He was anything but okay.

"Quag?"

The teen plucked a stone from his left hand and threw it angrily into the murky water below him.

"Quag!"

"Useless!" he grumbled. Dash dropped all of the remaining stones into the swamp water and slumped in the grass with a loud sigh, not noticing an extraneous third cry, one of annoyance.

"Useless." The teen's mouth contorted to form a frown as he sat up suddenly. The tall trainer cradled his head in his hands with another drawn out sigh. Dash hoped that Tristan and Monica wouldn't see him like this. He just wanted to be alone.

**X – X – X – X**

"DAAAASH! DASH? Where are you?" Monica bellowed as she cupped her hands together. There was no response from anyone or anything as she continued walking. Even Staraptor, who was fifty feet above her head, hadn't said anything. Had she lost Dash?

Monica shook her head and mentally reprimanded her self; she shouldn't think like that.

Still, the blond couldn't help but lose hope. She had been searching for nearly half an hour, trudging through murky swamp water and mud unceasingly. Staraptor was unable to locate Dash through his aerial view, as well. Monica frowned as she continued to walk aimlessly through the swamp.

Calling Dash another time wouldn't hurt, right?

"DASH!" the girl shouted. Nothing.

Monica slumped to the ground with a sigh, not caring that she sat in a puddle. What if… what if she couldn't find Dash? Why did he even run away in the first place without saying anything? Was he hurt? There were so many questions she had, and all of them were unanswered. Monica was jarred from her thoughts as the booming of thunder rippled through the air.

Dark clouds formed overhead as thunder rumbled more. Lightning split the sky and illuminated the clouds in a fearsome display. Rain began to plummet to the earth from overhead. The droplets of water soon turned into globs that mercilessly fell from above.

The storm clouds unleashed their unbridled wrath upon the girl, who shrieked in surprise at the torrential downpour. Monica leapt up and began her desperate search for shelter, muttering complaints about having her backpack on as well as her hair all the while.

Perhaps Tristan and Dash were having better luck than she was.

**X – X – X – X**

"Well this is just a bunch of nope!" Tristan exclaimed as he huddled beneath the playground roof. The teen gazed outside as water cascaded from the heavens, and it didn't appear to be stopping any time soon. Tristan shivered and rubbed his arms.

"Monica, Dash, you two better come back here soon."

**X – X – X – X**

Dash huffed in frustration as a droplet of water fell onto his forehead. The annoyed teen gazed directly at the sky and observed the black clouds closing in, smothering the peaceful blue sky.

"Maybe it will go away." The teen's wishful thinking proved to be just that: wishful. As if on cue, the overhead clouds seemed to open up the floodgates and unleash all of the water they could possibly hold upon the trainer.

"Of course not!" Dash complained as he gathered his bearings and rose to his feet, not noticing a pair of eyes that were trained on him. The Kalosian broke into a sprint as he traversed the tricky swamp ahead of him, muttering as the rain pelted his body harshly. Surely there was shelter to be had!

Dash continued to sprint through the torrent, either through sheer bravery or stupidity. The dark skinned teen cursed as he slipped on the soaked grass and slid into a nearby log. He stumbled to his feet and continued to search for shelter, still slipping as he did so. The teen gritted his teeth as he tried to ignore the sudden sharp pain in his leg.

The teen glanced around helplessly after another minute of running. Was there any shelter around? Dash winced as the thought crossed his mind.

His leg would appreciate the rest, too.

Still half running, half limping, the teen pressed on.

"At this rate, any shelter will do…" Dash opined, his head turning as if on a swivel. Suddenly, the teen let out a cry of joy. He had found his shelter, and he was going to make it there if it was the last thing he did. Finally, the tall trainer stumbled into a nearby cave and fell to his knees, soaking wet.

"I am so glad this is here!" Dash said with a sigh of relief. Wearily, the Kalosian inched towards the wall and leaned against it, clutching his leg all the while. Dash nearly jumped when he heard a gasp.

"Dash?!" It was Monica. Dash's heart sank into his stomach. How lucky, right?

The blond rushed to the tall teen's side and sat down immediately. She, too, was soaking wet. Monica shivered and hugged her own body for warmth.

"I didn't think I would see you here!" Monica exclaimed. Her usually cheery friend didn't respond, but instead glanced outside as it continued to rain. Monica inched closer to the boy and opened her mouth to speak, but cut herself off when she glanced down at the boy's leg.

"Wait, you're bleeding? You should've said something, idiot!" the girl scolded. Dash merely shrugged.

"I'll be fine," he countered. Monica shook her head.

"I'm not taking any chances. How did you do this to yourself, anyway?" the blond asked as she sifted through her backpack.

"I slipped and hit a log." Monica shook her head at the brief response. At least he was talking… for now. The girl beamed when she located the items she was searching for. Monica held a roll of gauze in her left hand and a bottle in the right one.

"You should've been more careful, then," she shot back as she began opening the bottle. Dash froze as Monica poured a small amount of hydrogen peroxide on his leg before looping the cotton mesh in her left hand around his leg a few times.

Finally, the girl held the end of the gauze in place with a single finger and used a small bit of tape to hold it together. The blond sat back to admire her handiwork.

"Not too shabby, eh?" she said as she prodded Dash with a grin.

"Thanks." Dash still refused to make eye contact. Monica frowned and stood up. The girl walked to Dash's other side and crouched down to look him in the eyes, but he turned away instantly. Sighing, Monica stood up and leaned against the cave wall across from Dash. Luckily, the walls were far enough apart to sit comfortably, but close enough to chat.

"Dash, talk to me." Monica's pleas fell on deaf ears; Dash merely ignored her. Monica cradled her head in her hands. What was she supposed to do if Dash didn't say anything?

The girl shuddered once again and hugged herself for warmth, her teeth starting to chatter. The adopted trainer reached for a Poké Ball and summoned one of her teammates in a flash of light.

"Delphox, can you provide a b-bit of warmth in here? It's sooo cold!" she stammered. The fire type nodded and held out a stick. With a grunt, the fox's wand lit up at the end, casting a faint glow in the cave. Monica immediately sighed in relief as the light source was handed to her.

"Thank you, Delphox… Delphox?" The previously shivering girl giggled as she glanced over at her starter Pokémon, who was now sleeping.

"_Delphox always was a fast sleeper…_" Monica thought. Suddenly, a thought occurred to the blond.

"You know, you'll be a lot warmer if you join me." The Kalosian's pointed comment reached Dash as if he were a deaf man. Monica stood up.

"I guess you're going to make me come to you, then," the girl chimed with a small smile. The blond walked to Dash's side and sat cross-legged, with Delphox's still-lit, makeshift torch being held between them. Monica's smile grew when she noticed Dash shift slightly towards the sudden warmth.

However, the girl's elated grin faded when it occurred to her that Dash was still silent. The teen hadn't said much at all.

"Lovely weather we're having, right?" the blond continued jokingly. Dash couldn't help but laugh at the horrible conversation continuation.

"I'll have to disagree with you on that one," the trainer shot back. Monica smiled and elbowed the teen lightly in the arm.

"It was a joke, you know." Dash chuckled.

"Oh, I'm aware…" The male directed his gaze to the ground once again and turned away from Monica, effectively killing the short chat. Monica sighed.

"Dash, tell me what's bothering you," she demanded bluntly, no longer choosing to beat around the bush. Dash turned to her with an inquisitive look.

"What do you mean?" Monica shot the teen an incredulous look and opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the violent roaring of thunder in the background. The blond spoke up as the noise died down.

"Dash, you're not fooling anyone. There **has** to be something bothering you." Dash shrugged.

"Please," Monica added, "I'm just trying to help." Dash shook his head and resumed staring out of the mouth of the cave as the rain drummed monotonously against the ground and lightning flashed overhead.

"It's nothing of importance, Monica. Really, it's not," he answered finally in an attempt to assure the relentlessly inquisitive girl beside him. The response was not enough for Monica, however, as she scoffed at the remark.

"So that means that there is something wrong." Dash rolled his eyes and stood up abruptly, throwing his hands into the air.

"Just drop it, alright?" The teen asked, not bothering to look at the girl nearby. Monica flinched as Dash began to pace in circles. There was no venom in his words, no anger in his tone, but the exasperated request did not bode well with the blond.

"Dash…"

"Sire!" Dash and Monica's gaze snapped towards the entrance of the cave, but the duo saw nothing in the gloom of the day. Just as he turned his head towards the ground, Dash felt a sharp pain in his stomach. The teen doubled over, instinctively clutching the injured area, which was strangely soaking wet.

Monica rushed to his side and knelt beside him in worry. The blonde's eyes widened in shock as a flash of lightning illuminated a strange figure right beside her. Whatever it was stood up without making a sound and waddled away from Dash slowly. Monica, desperately trying to figure out what had happened, plucked a stone from the ground and tossed it towards the weird creature in front of her.

The projectile hit Dash's assailant in the back of the head, and it turned around swiftly.

"Quagsire!" the creature barked. The attacker plodded forward with a blank look plastered on his face; it was as if it hadn't been attacked by a human. However, Monica was more concerned with the hurting teen beside her.

"Are you okay?" the blond asked in worry, ignoring Quagsire for a brief moment. Dash winced in pain and shook his head vigorously as he leaned against the cave wall for support. The teen couldn't even respond, as he was short of breath. Monica stood up and glared at her friend's assailant, who seemed to be a Pokémon.

"Delphox!" Monica called out. Fortunately, the bipedal fire type awoke from her slumber instantly and rushed to her trainer's side defensively. Lightning pierced the sky once again as Monica's opponent took a step forward, allowing the girl to catch a glimpse of the creature.

The Pokémon, which Monica assumed was named Quagsire, was a bipedal, light blue animal that seemed to have no neck. Its two hands and feet, both with three digits, had now ceased their movement. Quagsire stared blankly at Delphox with two miniscule, black eyes, and its wide mouth formed a straight line; the creature didn't appear to be showing any emotion whatsoever.

Suddenly, however, the creature hopped backwards and spat a wad of poison towards Delphox, who dodged instinctively. Monica commanded Delphox to retaliate with Hypnosis. With a nod, the fire type loosed three rings of energy from her eyes that floated towards Quagsire.

However, the amphibian shifted out of the way and rushed forward as he was enveloped in water. Due to the almost claustrophobic environment, Monica had little time to respond as Quagsire bashed his water-coated head into Delphox's torso.

"Delphox!" the blond shouted in surprise as the psychic type was blown into the wall of the back of the cave. Delphox grumbled as she dropped to the ground once again and assumed another fighting stance. She wasn't ready to give up yet, and neither was Monica.

"Throw it into the ceiling with Psychic!" the girl barked. Delphox nodded and hummed lowly as she raised her hand. The swift action caused Quagsire to become outlined in blue, and the oblivious Pokémon was slammed violently into the roof. The attack elicited a pained cry from the seemingly emotionless combatant, and Quagsire crashed to the ground. However, the shadowy cave, though dimly lit by Delphox's makeshift torch, still had enough hiding places.

"On your toes, Delphox!" Monica barked. The fox nodded, but wheezed when Quagsire zoomed out of nowhere and clobbered her while shrouded in water. The fire type slid backwards and into the cave wall once again, and her opponent followed up relentlessly by spitting a toxic glob towards Delphox.

The dual type was struck by the poison inducing move, and winced in pain as purple static flew off of her body. The poison would slowly chip away at her health and end the battle if Monica wasn't careful.

"Fight through it, Delphox! Hypnosis into Shadow Ball!" Forcing herself to get back in the fight, Delphox eyed Quagsire and fired off another set of sleep-inducing rings. The easily avoidable move proved to be just that, and Quagsire ducked under the move, but it was left open. Delphox smirked and flicked her wrist towards Quagsire, allowing a shadowy sphere of energy to slam into the creature's skull and explode on contact.

With a faint cry, the amphibious Pokémon bounced along the cave floor and towards the mouth of the cave. Quagsire grunted as it rose to its feet slowly. Monica was about to bark another command, but froze when her opponent suddenly surrounded himself in an intense green light. As the light faded, Quagsire grinned and hopped up happily. Monica scowled, finally recognizing the action; Quagsire had a healing move in its arsenal.

"We'll tear his health down again, then! Psychic!" Delphox yipped in obedience and raised her arms, but was shocked to see Quagsire already sprinting across the cave floor. The Water Fish Pokémon surged forward without hesitation and bashed his head into Delphox's, causing the fire type to lose concentration. The psychic type stumbled backwards while gripping her head in pain after receiving a hard-hitting Waterfall from Quagsire.

Monica called out to her injured starter, and her face fell when Delphox screamed in pain as purple static radiated from her body. The fox promptly collapsed in defeat. Monica gulped as she returned her starter. To say that Quagsire was a tough Pokémon would be an understatement.

"Alright, Jolteon, we've got this one!" Monica's head snapped towards the sound of Dash's voice. The teen steadied himself against the cave wall as Jolteon's Poké Ball opened in a bright flash of light. The quadruped dropped to the cave floor and yipped excitedly.

"Are you sure you're okay to battle, Dash?" The teen smirked.

"More than okay. Jolteon, Quick Attack!" Dash hollered. The electric type grinned to mirror his trainer and zipped forward as white streaks of light flew off of his body. The evolution of Eevee careened into Quagsire before he could even react, and the water type stumbled backwards. Dash barked another order immediately after, instructing Jolteon to fall back and fire off a Pin Missile.

The command was performed with impeccable reflexes, and Quagsire was unable to avoid the sudden barrage of cone-shaped projectiles. The water type frowned for the first time as it rushed forward while preparing another Waterfall, as it was able to shrug off damage with ease. Dash grinned.

"Take it and dish out a point blank Pin Missile!" the teen shouted. Monica was perplexed by the seemingly foolish move, but Dash's electric type seemed to have no problem with the tactic. Quagsire neared Jolteon and rammed him, but the Lightning Pokémon was quick to shove back explosively.

Pin Missile collided once again with Quagsire's body, sending him rolling across the cave for what seemed to be the millionth time. Still, the resilient Pokémon hopped up with the intent to continue its battle. However, the Water Fish Pokémon seemed to be wearing down, as numerous abrasions spotted its body from a relentless Pin Missile barrage.

Recognizing this, Dash went into immediate action. However, Quagsire had the same idea. The water type began to hum lowly as a green light enveloped his body, but the bulky creature suddenly froze as electricity flew from his body. Dash smirked, knowing full well that Jolteon's Static ability had just kicked in.

"Ram Quagsire from behind with Quick Attack to end this!" Dash instructed as he threw his hand forward. Jolteon cried out as he rushed forward and literally ran circles around his paralyzed opponent before crushing Quagsire. Surprisingly enough, however, Jolteon sent the dual type creature soaring straight towards Dash.

The dark skinned teen grinned and held out his hand, seemingly content with Quagsire colliding with him. Monica shouted at Dash, demanding that he move, as she was frozen in place and gripped by fear of another injury. The victorious trainer didn't budge.

Then, against Monica's expectations, Quagsire was enveloped in a bright red light. In the blink of an eye, the surprisingly strong Pokémon disappeared into thin air. The Poké Ball in Dash's hand wiggled a few times before chiming, signaling a capture. Dash and Jolteon grinned and cheered simultaneously at their newest teammate and friend.

"Awesome stuff out there, Jolteon," Dash praised. The electric type beamed at his trainer before being zapped into his Poké Ball to rest. Dash exhaled slowly as he stared out at the rainy swamp outside of the cave.

"I'm surprised I won that with how I've been doing lately…" the teen muttered.

"What makes you say that?" Dash flinched at the sudden voice and then scowled in realization. Somehow, someway, he had forgotten that Monica was in the same place. The blond casually approached the trainer's side.

"Is that what this is about?" she asked again as she leaned against Dash. The girl could only hope that applying of physical pressure would equal applying mental pressure. Dash glanced away, answering the blonde's question in an instant. Monica took a step back.

"Dash, you can't be serious…"

"If I am?" he interjected. Dash shook his head and grumbled something unintelligible before speaking once again.

"You know I'm right, Monica." The girl shook her head adamantly.

"That's not – "

"I have a losing record against you, I'm sure Tristan could beat me any day of the week, I was an inch away from losing to Clemont, and I got destroyed by the leader of Deivis! I'm sure the admins could've done the same thing! Sometimes I wonder if I should just quit, y'know?" Monica shook her head even more vehemently than before and clenched her fists. She had to fight the urge to slap the teen right on the spot. Or punch him. Or kick him.

"Dash, don't you dare say that," the girl began, trying to remain composed, "I don't want to hear it." Dash rolled his eyes and scoffed at the very motherly saying.

"You KNOW I'm right, Monica." Dash shoved his hands deep into his pockets and stared blankly out at the swamp beyond the safety of the cave as the rain poured, seemingly infinite. The blond shook her head once again.

"I don't believe it for a second." The girl took a few steps around Dash to face her doubtful friend. Monica stared him in the eyes, crossed her arms, and tapped her foot on the ground. Silence ensued, as Dash refused to speak or make eye contact. Leave it to him to be "lucky" enough to run into Monica.

"Dash, look at me," the blond ordered as she placed a hand on the much taller trainer's shoulder. The dark skinned teen begrudgingly obeyed and locked his green eyes with Monica's blue ones. Monica smiled.

"You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for, Dash. Really, I mean it. You focus **wayyy **too much on your losses and ignore the times when you absolutely kick butt! Take your newly caught Quagsire for example; you took it down handily, and Delphox and I struggled, to be honest." Dash shrugged.

"I was lucky, that's all," he replied, downplaying the praise. Monica reared her arm back and then brought it forward swiftly in a surge of anger. A loud smack echoed through the cave as Dash stumbled backwards two steps. The teen raised a hand to his stinging face.

Monica's slap had actually hurt. The girl shook her palm gently and sighed.

"Sorry about that, but I couldn't think of any other way to get you to shut up," the girl teased. Dash chuckled lightly at the confession despite the seriousness the situation contained.

"Seriously though, you need to quit getting so down about your losses, Dash! The people you've fought on your journey are supposed to give you a challenge, especially the gym leaders! And I don't even know who the Deivis person is, but their Pokémon are freakishly strong…" Monica exhaled dramatically and allowed her hands to drop to her sides.

"Just… Know that no matter what, Tristan and I will always have your back. We'll believe in you, even if you don't believe in you." Hearing this, Dash began to guffaw loudly. The teen stumbled backwards and screwed his eyes shut as the intensity of his laughing grew. Monica glared at the teen as his laughter died down to mere chuckles.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. That was just so cheesy!" The proclamation elicited another burst of laughter from the previously downtrodden teen. Monica placed her hands on her hips, not amused. However, a few seconds later, Monica was caught up in Dash's infectious laughter and found herself giggling alongside the teen.

"I guess you're right – ha-ha – I couldn't think of another way to put it, though," the girl admitted.

"Well, cheesy or not, it's something I needed to hear." The tall trainer grinned genuinely for what felt like the first time in forever.

"Thanks, Shorty." Monica punched Dash on the arm lightly for the nickname, but smiled and nodded.

"Oh, what do you know? The rain's fading away," the blond pointed out. Dash glanced outside and his grinned widened. Sure enough, the downpour from earlier was dissipating.

"It's a miracle that the rain is gone," he joked, "I'm ready to leave this cave." Monica smiled.

"And you're sure everything's fine?" Dash nodded with a look of confidence, knowing that the girl wasn't referring to the weather.

"Oh yeah. I'm ready to get out there and kick some butt!" Monica smirked.

"I'm glad. Well, with Quagsire being captured and our little conversation, I'd say today has been a good day, wouldn't you?" Dash pondered the statement for a minute before smirking like Monica did.

"Yeah, I'd say so. But, we should probably find Tristan before he gets himself lost looking for us. Then, we can continue travelling." Monica nodded at the suggestion as she strode out of the cave with Dash.

"Laverre City, here we come!"

**X – X – X – X**

**There's the conclusion of chapter 38, people! XD Sorry about taking so long. So much stuff got in the way, so I wasn't able to finish this as soon as I had originally thought. But, I did finish it! I hope you enjoyed Monica and Dash's excursion.**

**1-Quagsire tho? Do you think the strange water type will be a good addition to Dash's team?**

**2-Pep talks though.**


	39. Chapter 39 - Vanquishing Valerie

**We're back! I say this almost every time! Yeah! Anyways, last chapter was a Monica and Dash-centric one. Dash, though feeling a bit unsure about his skill, managed to nab Quagsire and add the strange creature to his team. With that, he and Monica returned to Tristan, hoping to reach Laverre City.**

** El Torro – Nope, Quagsire belongs to Dash. Besides, Greninja is cool enough… right? Also, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! I've wanted to do something more about them for once, so I fit it in here. Quagsire. Thanks for the review!**

** JustinThePokemonMaster – Monica is best speaker confirmed. XD Yeah, she definitely did a good job with lifting Dash's spirits. Also, though Quagsire seems to be a weird Pokémon, you'll see that he'll be useful at certain points. Thank you for the review!**

** Warrior of Hope – Quagsire yes! XD He may be weird, but he'll be useful for sure. The pep talk game is strong. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Chapter time! :D**

**Chapter 39 – Vanquishing Valerie**

It was a peaceful, quiet morning in the small city of Laverre. It was anything but unordinary, however, as Laverre was an area with a low population. In fact, the city only held ten buildings, and Tristan and Monica were sitting in one of them.

"I can't believe we managed to make it Laverre so soon!" Monica admitted as she stretched her arms. Tristan shrugged.

"It did take us about two days or so. We took our sweet time in that swamp, if you ask me," Tristan countered. The blond chuckled.

"That's part of the fun!" Tristan grinned and leaned back in his chair. The teen couldn't help but yawn a moment later.

"I guess so. Hey, have you seen Dash yet?" Monica wondered about the inquiry for a brief second before shaking her head.

"He's still asleep, for once," the blond responded.

"After our travels, I don't blame him. He can sleep as long as he wants here in the Pokémon Center; I'm taking a crack at the gym leader whether he's awake or not!" Tristan smirked at the thought of challenging the leader for a shot at his sixth badge. Maybe, just maybe, he would win the match on his first attempt.

"Look at how humble you are," Monica joked with a sly grin, "Do you know who you're using at all?" Her answer came in the form of an immediate nod.

"Oh yeah. I actually gave it some thought on the way here. I wanted to give Gogoat and Diggersby another gym battle, and it's been a bit since Greninja's participated in one, so I'm using him."

"I guess that makes sense. But you **do **know that this gym uses fairy types, right? Those things aren't slouches, I can vouch for that," she informed him. Tristan shrugged.

"Well, I had no idea," Monica sweatdropped at the response, "But I wouldn't have changed my picks either way." The girl smiled genuinely at his added words and ran a hand through her hair.

"I don't doubt your decision… I'm just hoping that Dash does well," she admitted as she turned her gaze to the table. Tristan straightened his back and sat up, leaning forward slightly as he rested his forearms on the table before him.

Monica had informed him of the events that occurred during their hectic day in the swamp, the one where it had rained violently for at least half an hour straight. The thought of Dash's predicament elicited a serious look from Tristan.

"So do I… I won't be surprised if he wins, but I hope any potential loss doesn't put a damper on his spirit again. He seems to forget from time to time that he actually is a good trainer," the brown haired teen mused. Monica answered with a curt nod of agreement.

"That's the sad truth… You would think that he would understand that by now, too!" Monica sighed as she stood up and straightened her shirt. The boy sitting across from her raised an eyebrow.

"Where are you going?" The blond hesitated for a moment as she ran a hand through her hair.

"I'm just going outside for a walk," she responded slowly, "Apparently the weather outside is really nice, and we're waiting on Dash anyway, so why not?" Tristan rose to his feet and shoved his hands in his pockets. The trainer shrugged.

"Works for me. Mind if I join you?" he inquired. Wordlessly, Monica took a step towards the door, which flew open automatically. The blond stepped outside of the Pokémon Center, but was still close enough for the door to remain open.

"If you want to," she answered finally. Tristan nodded and strode after her into the city beyond, eventually stopping when he reached her side. Monica was silent still as the two teens turned right and began to walk.

"You know what? You weren't kidding. This is some nice weather!" Tristan exclaimed spontaneously. Monica laughed a little at the sudden burst.

"That was random." Tristan chuckled as the duo turned right once again.

"It's true though. If the weather was like this all of the time, I would be cool with it." Monica smiled at the remark as a light breeze picked up, blowing her blond hair far to the left. The girl's smile switched to a frown of annoyance abruptly.

"There goes my hair," she muttered. Tristan rolled his eyes at the remark.

"Oh please, it'll look fine either way," he opined. Monica glanced at the boy next to her and smiled warmly.

"You think so?" she wondered. Tristan nodded without a word as the two began to climb a set of stairs.

The faint breeze from earlier continued to blow softly, rustling the leaves of the copious trees that bordered Laverre City. A myriad of orange, red and yellow leaves were whisked through the air, slaves to the wind that propelled them. Monica and Tristan continued to meander along the path before them, simply enjoying the weather and silence.

"It's so peaceful here. I can't help but like this place. It's a… nice break." Tristan said finally, breaking the silence. Monica nodded immediately in agreement.

"It's a welcome change for sure. But I can't help but think about Deivis and when they'll show up next… They were so insane last time; what if they do worse the next time?" Tristan had no words as the light breeze picked up, sending a chill down their spines.

"They scare me," the blond admitted. Tristan stopped abruptly, causing Monica to freeze as well. With a smirk, the brown haired teen placed his hand on Monica's shoulder and turned her around.

"Hey, there's no need to be afraid. The guys at Deivis are maniacs, sure, but we're getting stronger every day, and the International Police have our backs. No matter what happens, we WILL be fine," he reassured her.

The girl brushed a strand of blond hair away from her eyes absentmindedly, only to have it return defiantly. Monica contemplated Tristan's words for a moment. She grinned widely.

"We're going to kick some serious butt when they show up again," she boasted. Tristan guffawed at the sudden change in heart.

"Oh, you bet we will! We'll be one step closer to stopping them once we win this badge, too." Monica nodded and glanced up. The girl smirked and jabbed Tristan in the shoulder.

"You totally meant to go this way, didn't you?" she interrogated with a chuckle. Tristan glanced towards the building yards away and laughed in response.

"I swear I didn't. It's all coincidence, I promise." Monica shot the teen a look of disbelief but shrugged it off and focused on the building in front of her.

It was a wooden building comprised of two floors. Faded and chipped paint lined the exterior, which was also decorated with multiple windows and numerable patches of green moss. Perched on top of the worn building, which seemed to be a house, was a triangular, blue roof. At the bottom was a large, white door that was positioned perfectly in the middle of the wall; it was their entrance.

Behind the aged structure was a massive, burly tree with gnarled roots that dug into the ground all around the base of the house. Large clumps of leaves spotted the grassy terrain, mingling with growths of red fungus. After examining the tree further, Monica and Tristan were able to pinpoint the face of a clock – a working one – lodged within.

This was the Laverre City gym.

"So we just happened to approach the gym?" Monica uttered with incredulity. A grin spread across Tristan's face.

"Yep. Hey, while we're here, we might as well go check it out," he answered. Monica ruminated on the opposition.

"On one hand, we're going without Dash, but on the other hand having a battle would be so hype… We're going in," the blond ascertained. Tristan pumped his fist.

"Sounds like a plan to me!" The brown haired boy took a few steps forward and grasped the doorknob. With a twist and a pull, the surprisingly heavy door eased open, and Tristan held it. Monica disappeared inside the building after thanking the teen. Tristan was not far behind.

Right as the two teens entered, a feminine voice resounded through the gym.

"Challengers this early?" Almost shouting in surprise, Monica nodded at the woman that approached her.

She was dressed in strange attire. Black heels and black leggings led into a pink and purple gown. Purple ribbons flowed from the woman's skirt as well as her hair. However, the most peculiar parts of her attire were the long, wing-like appendages that were draped over her arms. The were primarily pink near her shoulders and the upper half of her arm, but the color soon transitioned to beige and finally a black trim.

The woman smiled genuinely as her purple eyes sparkled with excitement. She raised her left hand to brush some of her black hair away from her eyes while offering her free hand to Monica and Tristan.

"My name is Valerie, and I am the gym leader of Laverre City. I assume you are trainers looking to challenge the gym," she greeted. Tristan nodded and shook the proffered hand, as did Monica. The two teens introduced themselves.

"You've got that right. I'm here to win your badge!" Tristan challenged confidently. Valerie smirked at the proclamation.

"I see. Well, I'm more than ready to take what you'll dish out. So, who will be challenging me first?" inquired the black haired gym leader. Monica and Tristan glanced at each other and shrugged.

"I'll let you go first," Monica offered with a grin, "I'll take the time to study up on what she's capable of." Tristan rolled his eyes, but matched the blonde's smile.

"You better write quickly, then." Valerie laughed at the comment before strolling back to her side of the room, and Monica swiftly approached the benches reserved for spectators.

"Well, Tristan, I hope you're ready for this! Your three versus three battle is about to commence! Mawile, go!" Tristan felt excitement pumping through his veins as he, too, tossed a Poké Ball onto the field.

"Diggersby, let's do this!" In two separate flashes of light, two creatures appeared on the battlefield. One was Tristan's burly rabbit, Diggersby. In front of Valerie, however, was a bipedal yellow creature with red eyes. Out of the back of her head stemmed menacing jaws full of sharp teeth.

Tristan and Diggersby both grinned.

"Diggersby, move in with Quick Attack!" Diggersby nodded and sprinted forward as white streaks flowed from his body, but Valerie and Mawile watched with faces of stone.

"Take it with Iron Defense!" Mawile cackled and suddenly went rigid as her body became coated in a thin layer of metal. Diggersby became wide eyed as his momentum carried him mercilessly into Mawile. The rabbit yelped in pain as he collided with the solid creature.

"Now Crunch!" Valerie continued unceasingly. The steel type grinned and whirled around swiftly as the jaws on the back of her head opened wide. Mawile's teeth suddenly clamped down on Diggersby's arm, making the normal type shriek.

Tristan frowned in worry as Mawile began to sling Diggersby around like a ragdoll; he was unable to think efficiently enough.

"Double Kick!" sputtered the teen, unsure of what else would work. Diggersby began to flail wildly in Mawile's grip as his feet glowed, but his incessant movement did nothing to relieve him from Mawile's iron grip. Finally, after thrashing for so long, Diggersby's foot slammed into Mawile's head.

Caught off guard, the fairy type released her hold on Diggersby and took a step back, leaving plenty of time for Diggersby to clobber her with the latter part of the attack. Mawile was sent rolling across the floor of the gym, but hopped up quickly.

"Feint Attack, Mawile!" Valerie barked, not wanting Tristan to steal the momentum.

"Dig!" countered the teen. Diggersby nodded and burrowed straight into the ground as Mawile faded from view. The two combatants had disappeared in a split second. Suddenly, with a loud groan of frustration, Mawile reappeared right where she had stood previously.

Tristan smirked at the mistake.

Diggersby burst out of the ground with a triumphant cry and delivered a fierce uppercut to Mawile's torso, eliciting a gasp from Valerie. The fairy type stumbled backwards while clutching her stomach in pain, but she had to shake the feeling off quickly.

"Double Kick again!" Diggersby lurched forward once again and raised his two feet in an attempt to drop kick his opponent, but failed miserably when Mawile's jaws closed around him. Mawile smirked and slammed the ground type into the floor upon command, leaving a sizable dent in it.

Diggersby hopped to his feet in a daze and ran back to Tristan's side, hoping to avoid further assault. Valerie shook her head.

"Feint Attack, Mawile!" Diggersby frowned when the steel type disappeared a second time, but Tristan seemed perfectly calm.

"Dig again, Diggersby," he ordered. The hare performed the command without hesitation and dove into the ground to evade Mawile, who was being elusive herself. Tristan exhaled slowly. This gave him time to think, to strategize. After a few moments of rumination, Tristan smirked. He had an idea.

"Up!" the teen barked. Diggersby burst out of the ground a second later, not bothering to locate a target, as there wasn't one. Valerie snapped her fingers, and Mawile suddenly faded into view right beside the rabbit.

"Down!" Tristan demanded swiftly. In a flash, Diggersby dove back underground, narrowly avoiding Mawile's sudden attack from behind. The fairy type frowned and stamped her foot on the ground, frustrated with the normal type's hit and run tactic.

"You can't hide forever, Tristan!" Valerie shouted with a smirk. Tristan chuckled and mirrored the woman's facial expression.

"I don't plan on it! Up!" As the teen said this, Diggersby broke through the gym floor with another shout and bashed Mawile's head with his massive ears. The steel type screamed and clutched her head in immense pain, unable to help herself as she fell to her knees.

"Mawile, no!"

"Double Kick!" Diggersby grinned and sprinted over to Mawile, who was still locked down by her pain. The ground type's feet shone brightly, and he jumped up to deliver a vicious drop kick straight into Mawile's abdomen.

The attack connected without a problem, and Mawile wheezed from Diggersby's raw power and she was sent tumbling across the gym floor. The fairy type finally came to a rest as her body was slammed against the back wall, and her head slumped. Valerie gasped; there wasn't a doubt in her mind that Mawile had fainted.

"Mawile, return. The fight's not over yet, though! Go, Mr. Mime!" With a spirited cry, the fairy user tossed a second Poké Ball onto the field. The capture device burst open with a bright flash of light to reveal a bipedal, humanoid Pokémon that resembled, well, a mime.

The creature was lightly colored with pointy blue ears and shoes. However, its torso was as white as its gloved hands, which starkly contrasted the rest of its body, being mostly pink.

"We'll do things right this time, Mr. Mime! Psychic!" The humanoid creature nodded and furrowed his brow as he raised his right arm. Before Tristan could even bark a command, Diggersby was outlined in blue light and bashed repeatedly against the ground. Luckily, the assault did not last long, as Mr. Mime's concentration was broken.

"Stay on the move, Diggersby! Quick Attack!" The normal type began speeding back and forth across the battlefield without a moment's hesitation, confusing Mr. Mime greatly as Diggersby began to sprint circles around the humanoid creature. Valerie's voice rang out snappily, however, calming the dismayed psychic type.

"Dazzling Gleam, Mr. Mime!" Diggersby continued to circle his opponent at high speeds, but was shocked when Mr. Mime shot his hands forward and unleashed a brilliant pink light. The sudden attack struck the normal type's face and sent him rolling across the gym floor. Diggersby staggered to his feet, beginning to run low on energy.

"Psychic, Mr. Mime!"

"Dig down!" Tristan countered swiftly. Diggersby grunted and performed a short hop, preparing to dive. However, the rabbit slammed his two feet on the ground instead, sending a massive shockwave toward Mr. Mime. Wide eyed, the fairy type was clobbered as a massive pillar of dirt connected with his chin.

Mr. Mime was thrown into the air by the forceful attack and hit the ceiling with an intense thud before dropping back down. The humanoid creature cracked the floor upon landing, leaving Tristan and Valerie both to gape at the power.

"What was that?" Tristan muttered, "Earthquake?" The teen glanced down at his Poké Dex, whose light was flashing to signal a change in Diggersby. He grinned, as it was, in fact, Earthquake that Diggersby had learned. The excited teen did not have time to celebrate, however, as Mr. Mime forced himself to his feet weakly.

The fairy type was still intent on attacking Diggersby, and attempted to do so yet again as he raised his shaking right arm. Diggersby's body flickered for a brief second as Mr. Mime tried to harness his Psychic ability, but he soon fell to one knee I exhaustion.

"Quick Attack into Return!" Tristan barked, making sure to capitalize on his opponent's state of weakness. With a proud smirk that reminded Tristan of Gogoat, Diggersby blitzed across the battlefield as streaks surrounded his body, making a beeline towards Mr. Mime. The normal type's target winced as he struggled to his feet.

Valerie gulped as Diggersby homed in on her Pokémon, now with an intense blue aura framing him, and she raised her right hand suddenly as if the action could change the outcome of the battle. She had to think of something soon, and she did, which was fortunate for her.

"Block with Reflect!" Mr. Mime willed himself to his feet in a flash, though he wobbled slightly, and erected a solid barrier of yellow light. Diggersby continued to sprint forward as his legs pumped faster and faster; it seemed as if he was about to crash through the barrier via brute force alone despite his tired state.

Diggersby didn't, however. The speeding ground type slammed headfirst into the wall of light, causing the structure to crack in an instant, but somehow stay in one piece. Diggersby shouted in pain and fell on his back, clutching his head.

"Now bash him against the barrier with Psychic!" Valerie commanded with a snap. Diggersby began to flail wildly as Mr. Mime began to lift him into the air, but there was nothing the normal type could do. With rapid hand motions, Mr. Mime drove Diggersby's body straight into the barrier multiple times, eliciting further cries of pain.

Finally, the defensive wall shattered, and Diggersby flew through it face first into the wall behind Valerie. With a groan, the ground type crashed to the ground. Tristan gasped.

"Diggersby, no!" The cry fell on deaf ears, however, as both Tristan and Valerie could see clearly that the powerful creature was out cold. Tristan smiled for a brief moment as he held up Diggersby's Poké Ball, recalling him immediately.

"Thank you, Diggersby, you were amazing…" Tristan snapped the Poké Ball to his belt and plucked another one off of it. He tossed it into the air without a word. In a bright flash of light, Gogoat dropped lightly onto the battlefield with a proud smirk.

"This'll be easy," the grass type boasted as he snickered at Mr. Mime, who folded his arms and frowned. Tristan sighed as Valerie's voice rang out.

"Don't count on it! Mr. Mime, Dazzling Gleam!" The humanoid managed to perform the command before Valerie was even done speaking and unleashed a mass of pink light in Gogoat's direction, but Tristan's thought process was just as quick.

"Bulldoze to block it!" Gogoat nodded and slammed his hooves against the ground, sending a small shockwave forward that kicked up a pillar of dirt. The column burst through the earth and took the brunt of the oncoming fairy type attack, leaving Gogoat safe.

"Now, Bulk Up while you're safe!" Valerie frowned at the intelligent command, but was quick to respond as Gogoat's muscles tensed and harbored a red sheen.

"Topple the pillar with Psychic!" she bellowed. Valerie's weary fairy type nodded and grunted as a look of intense concentration came across his face. The mime grunted again as he extended his arms, channeling his energy into the column before him. Suddenly, with a loud cry, the psychic type pushed his arms even further and caused the earth structure to tumble in Gogoat's direction.

"Dodge it!" Tristan barked. Gogoat stepped swiftly to the side, but was unable to dodge the full attack. Part of the pillar clipped one of his hind legs, causing the arrogant creature to collapse on the ground. Gogoat snarled and attempted to push his body off of the ground, but was unable to because of his leg being stuck.

"Now, Dazzling Gleam again!" This time, before Tristan and Gogoat could react, Mr. Mime loosed another barrage of beams, all of them making contact with Gogoat. The arrogant creature was struck by the blinding attack and thrown into the wall behind Tristan, freeing him from his prison but weakening him.

Gogoat spat on the ground and strode back on to the battlefield, though with a noticeable limp in one of his hind legs. The grass type's breathing became slightly heavier, though not by much.

"Let's fight back, Gogoat! Bulldoze!" With another confident gesture, Gogoat reared back and slammed his front hooves on the ground. However, the result of the attack was much different than the one Tristan predicted. A powerful shockwave rippled through the gym floor, almost throwing Tristan off of his feet, and raced towards Mr. Mime. Wide eyed, the gym leader's Pokémon was clobbered yet again by an Earthquake-powered pillar.

Tristan cheered, causing Gogoat to smirk.

"Awesome stuff, Gogoat! Let's see if we can end this with Seed Bomb!" Gogoat grinned at the idea and crouched down as he prepared to rocket explosive rounds from his back. His eyes were trained on Mr. Mime as he fell to the ground. Right as the fairy type hit the ground, Gogoat fired.

"Block it with Reflect, Mr. Mime!" Valerie screamed desperately. As three massive seeds soared through the air and straight towards Mr. Mime, the humanoid threw his hands up and summoned another barrier to take the brunt of Gogoat's attack. The grass type move detonated as soon as it made contact with the shield, leaving Mr. Mime unscathed. Valerie breathed a sigh of relief, but scowled when she saw a thick layer of smoke over the battlefield.

"Gogoat," Tristan whispered to the quadruped, "Sneak up on them and use Seed Bomb at point blank." As soon as the teen spoke it, it was put into action. Despite his crippled leg, Gogoat slunk across the smoke-covered gym. Tristan scratched his head idly. There was nothing he could do at this point; he just had to trust Gogoat to pull through.

A few moments passed, with Valerie's mind going into overdrive as Mr. Mime became increasingly unnerved. Then, before either could pick up on what was happening, a violent explosion occurred. Screaming in pain, Mr. Mime soared through the air and slammed into the wall behind Valerie before dropping to the floor face first. The mime was unconscious instantaneously.

However, as the smoke began to clear, worry crept into Tristan's mind. Gogoat had managed to knock himself out with Seed Bomb before, but would it occur again? Tristan's jaw dropped.

Apparently it would.

"Thank you, Gogoat; return."

"Mr. Mime, return!" Both trainers recalled their fallen comrades simultaneously and glanced up. Valerie smiled as she gazed at Tristan.

"It seems we're both on our last legs for this battle," the gym leader mused. Tristan chuckled as he swapped Gogoat's Poké Ball for his third and final one.

"I suppose so. I don't plan on losing, though! Greninja, let's do this!"

"Sylveon, go!" In two flashes of light, the duo appeared on the battlefield. In front of Tristan was his shiny Greninja, and in front of Valerie was a pink quadruped with ribbons on its body.

"This is for the win, Greninja! Are you ready?" The frog chuckled.

"No pressure, right? I'm always ready." The remark elicited a smirk from Tristan.

"Awesome. Let's start with Smack Down!" Greninja immediately leapt into action and spat a massive stone towards Sylveon, but Valerie was ready to counter in an instant.

"Swift!" the black haired woman called out. Sylveon yipped cutely and summoned multiple rotating stars around her body. With a simple flick of a paw, the projectiles were propelled forward, managing to slice through Smack Down with ease. However, Swift didn't stop there, but made a beeline for Greninja.

"Shadow Sneak in place, Greninja," Tristan ordered calmly. The amphibian nodded and flashed gray for split second as the stars closed in on him, but chose not to move. Sylveon's attack slammed into Greninja's body moments after, but passed harmlessly through his body before disappearing. Valerie's eyes went wide.

"Is that a Protean Greninja, by chance?" the gym leader interrogated. Tristan rubbed the back of his head.

"Uh, yeah." Valerie smiled.

"You're a lucky one. This battle will be more fun than I anticipated. Sylveon, Dazzling Gleam!" The fairy type cried out in confirmation and rocketed a beam of solid light towards Greninja. The great speed of the attack shocked Tristan at first, but Greninja glanced at him and nodded, easing his concern.

"Shadow Sneak to dodge!" The water type starter dove into the ground swiftly, narrowly avoiding the powerful fairy type attack from Sylveon. The frog then hopped up immediately after the attack passed, coming to a rest on the ground calmly.

"Try it again, Sylveon!"

"Down!" Greninja sank into the ground a second time, merging with it as Sylveon's attack whizzed by overhead, but soon reemerged in front of Sylveon. His sudden close proximity to the fairy type alarmed Valerie greatly.

"Water Pulse!" Tristan barked. Greninja grinned and lurched forward with a sphere of water in his open palm; Sylveon was unable to react in time as the frog smashed the attack into its face. Sylveon stumbled backwards in pain, but shook their head violently to focus on winning.

"Swift to get him off of you, Sylveon!" As the stars began to revolve around the fairy type, Tristan grinned, knowing exactly what he was about to carry out.

"Snag Sylveon's leg with Lick!" Valerie gasped at the unexpected move in Greninja's arsenal as Sylveon cast forth a now useless Swift attack. The stars collided ineffectively with the frog's body, and Greninja's tongue shot forth in the blink of an eye and wrapped around Sylveon's ankle.

With a hard tug, Sylveon fell to the ground. The pink creature yelped, but Greninja's assault wasn't over yet. The amphibian reeled his tongue in slightly and began to spin in place, bringing his fairy type opponent with him. Sylveon shrieked as they were spun around as if they weighed nothing.

After a few more disorienting revolutions, Greninja smashed Valerie's final Pokémon into the ground, eliciting a wince from the woman. Before she could call out to her Pokémon, however, Greninja's arm shot forward. The appendage had a second Water Pulse on the end of it, and the attack was slammed into Sylveon's side.

With another shriek, Sylveon was thrown across the gym floor with an intense amount of force. The fairy type managed to land on her feet, but fell to her knees as she clutched her aching side.

"Get up, Sylveon, please!" Valerie ordered in worry, knowing that Tristan wouldn't let up any time soon. The woman was correct in her assumption, too, as she glanced up to see Greninja rushing Sylveon. Snappily, the gym leader commanded Sylveon to use another Dazzling Gleam. The swift fairy attack sped through the air and grazed Greninja's shoulder, causing the frog to wince, but he didn't slow down.

Once again, the water type lunged forward with an attack prepared, but Sylveon sprinted away with Quick Attack. Greninja pursued the fleeing fairy type upon Tristan's command. The two played cat and mouse as they ran around the gym.

Suddenly, Valerie snapped her fingers.

"Turn on him and Dazzling Gleam!" Greninja's eyes went wide as Sylveon suddenly swiveled and unleashed the blinding attack at point blank. The frog shouted with a mixture of shock and pain as he skidded along the floor before coming to a rest beside his trainer. He willed himself to his feet.

"Are you alright, Greninja?" Tristan inquired as the amphibian hopped back to the battlefield. The versatile creature chuckled.

"Oh yeah."

**X – X – X – X**

"Wow, this is seriously intense!" Monica jumped as her hands flew to her heart in surprise.

"Dash, don't do that to me!" the blond snapped. The tall teen, who was leaning against the wall by the bleachers, rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he chuckled.

"Sorry, shorty," he replied. Monica smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Right, right. So, uh, when did you get here?" the girl wondered. Dash smirked.

"Let's see… I got here right after the double KO with Mr. Mime and Gogoat," he responded. Monica nodded at his words and glanced back at the battlefield, where Tristan's Greninja and Valerie's Sylveon were exchanging Smack Downs and Swifts. Suddenly, the girl's face heated up slightly.

"Hey, uh, sorry about leaving you behind…" she muttered in embarrassment. Dash shrugged.

"It's cool. I totally would've done the same; I would be way too excited to battle a gym leader." Monica giggled at the answer, and the two observed the battlefield simultaneously. As if on cue, the end of their conversation initiated the end of Tristan's battle.

Valerie's Sylveon rounded off a Swift, but Greninja slid under it with Shadow Sneak. Suddenly, the ninja-like creature hopped up and rocketed a dense stone right into Sylveon's side. The fairy type fell to the ground weakly after Greninja's constant pressure and promptly collapsed. Monica and Dash smiled. Tristan had won.

**X – X – X – X**

"Sylveon, return!" Valerie shouted as she held up a Poké Ball. The pink quadruped was zapped back into the capture device via a red beam, and Tristan did the same after praising Greninja for his dominating performance. The two trainers approached the middle of the battlefield, with Valerie extending her hand first.

"Excellent battle, Tristan! Your Pokémon fought hard, and I'm especially impressed with that Greninja of yours. You've definitely earned the Fairy Badge!" The two trainers shook hands, and Valerie then extended her left hand, which was open. Tristan grinned as he snatched the small piece of metal from her outstretched palm and observed it.

It was a pink object with elaborate gold accents. The badge was shaped almost like a semi circle and shone brightly even though Tristan was indoors. The Kalosian cheered and tucked the piece of metal into his badge case.

"Thanks for the battle, Valerie!"

"It was my pleasure, Tristan…" The woman trailed off and turned her head to Monica and Dash before smiling.

"Who's next?"

**X – X – X – X**

Valerie chuckled.

"So, Dash, who will you choose?" she challenged. Dash frowned as he stared at Valerie's final Pokémon, who had just knocked out his Quagsire. Aegislash had fallen in battle before Valerie's final choice had even shown up, too. The strange creature in question was white, and its two wings nearly resembled clouds. Multiple red and blue spots were on the Pokémon's underside.

What could he use to combat Valerie's third Pokémon, Togekiss? After a moment of thinking, Dash's hand rested on one Poké Ball in particular.

"Let's win this, Aerodactyl!" In a bright flash of light, the winged dinosaur burst onto the scene and roared loudly, intimidating Togekiss. Dash grinned as the rock type flapped his wings idly. Aerodactyl's strength and speed, combined with Togekiss' fatigue, made for an easy win in his mind.

"Start with Air Slash, Togekiss!" Togekiss cried in confirmation and threw her wings forward, sending a sharp crescent of air towards Aerodactyl. Dash snapped his fingers, however, catching Valerie's attention.

"Burst through with Iron Head!" Valerie gasped as the rock type blitzed Togekiss while his head shone a metallic silver. The insanely fast fossil sliced through Air Slash like a hot knife going through butter and slammed his head into Togekiss'. The fairy type shouted in pain and began to lose altitude as she spiraled to the ground.

The flying type hit the ground with a loud thud and kicked up some dust, but she managed to push herself up slowly. Togekiss' fatigue was beginning to show even more than before, as the cloud-like creature wasn't able to push herself up without grunting in pain.

"Now, seal the deal with Aerial Ace!"

"Intercept with Thunder Wave!" Valerie countered. Dash face palmed at the foolish mistake, and had the misfortune of watching Aerodactyl fly face-first into a ring of electricity, as his speed was far too great to dodge the status move. The rock type roared in annoyance as static danced across his skin.

"Back up, Aerodactyl!" Dash barked, knowing the effects of paralysis could ruin his chances of winning. However, the dinosaur was unable to perform the command faithfully, as paralysis overtook him. Incapable of movement, Aerodactyl began plummeting to the gym floor like a meteor, leaving him open and dropping straight towards Togekiss.

"Take him out of the sky with Aura Sphere!" Valerie ordered as she pointed at Aerodactyl, seeming to aim for Togekiss. Not even a second passed before the flying type gathered a potent ball of energy in front of her face and flung it towards Aerodactyl, who was still helplessly falling toward her.

Dash barked a command in desperation, unsure of what to do when paralysis threatened his victory.

"Iron Head, Aerodactyl!" Valerie shook her head at the command, confident in Thunder Wave's ability to keep Aerodactyl locked down. However, the gym leader was astounded when Aerodactyl's head became encased in silver. The rock type roared and began to fall to the ground like a comet, plowing through Aura Sphere and bashing his head into Togekiss.

The two flew to the ground rapidly, and Aerodactyl finally pinned his fairy type opponent to the ground with his super effective attack. After standing up, Aerodactyl grinned with pride. Togekiss has been knocked out.

Dash cheered, as did Monica and Tristan, who were on the sidelines. Dash had beaten Valerie.

**X – X – X – X**

Monica gulped and wiped her sweaty palms against her shorts. Before her stood a surprisingly powerful creature, one that had given her team a run for their money. At first glance, it seemed innocent enough, but the blond knew better now. It had assisted in toppling her Malamar, as well as played a hand in eliminating her Sylveon.

After Sylveon went down, the girl had placed her hopes in Delphox, but the fire type was struggling against Valerie's final Pokémon: Dedenne.

Monica didn't know how, but the orange Pikachu look-alike was going toe-to-toe with Delphox. The electric type knew how to weave in and out of every attack and dish out countless electric moves. Monica was jarred from her analysis of Dedenne when another bolt of lightning whizzed past Delphox and struck the ground.

"Delphox, Flamethrower!" the blond shouted frantically. The fatigued fox nodded and cast her wand forward to unleash a blistering stream of flames. However, Valerie was on top of her game and barked an order quickly.

"Dodge with Quick Attack and go for Nuzzle!" Monica paled. That move had caused her so much trouble during the battle.

"Keep it away with Psychic!" the girl bellowed as Dedenne rushed across the battlefield, streaks of white flowing behind it. Delphox yipped obediently and raised her arms to control her fairy type opponent, but found herself to be too slow.

Dedenne laughed devilishly and launched itself towards Delphox as its cheeks crackled with electricity. The orange mouse latched onto Delphox's arm and rubbed its cheek against the fire type's fur, eliciting a cry of dismay from Monica and an annoyed shout from Delphox.

The dual fire and psychic type swung her arm to throw Dedenne off of her, but froze suddenly as static overtook her. Valerie snapped her fingers, and Monica began to panic.

"Play Rough, Dedenne!" The deceptively strong Pokémon crawled up to Delphox's head as pink energy enveloped its body, and it grinned widely when it reached its destination. The mouse hopped upward and channeled all of the pink energy into its tail before swinging downwards, connecting with the back of Delphox's head.

The fire type couldn't even respond as it crumpled in an instant on the floor, having sustained too much damage over the course of time. Dedenne sprinted happily back to its trainer as Monica crashed to her knees.

She had lost.

**X – X – X – X**

Monica sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"Ugh! I should've won that!" the girl grumbled. Tristan shrugged.

"Hey, it happens to the best of us, Monica," he stated. The blond shook her head.

"But I had that match in the bag! Dedenne just rolled all over me! It's a little mouse, for crying out loud! I'm just disappointed, that's all." Tristan smiled as he rested a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Hey, is that the sound of someone giving up?" he inquired with a facetious tone. Monica rolled her eyes as if the question was a foolish one.

"Oh heck no! I'm coming back to kick her butt!" she boasted. Tristan chuckled as he looked the girl in the eyes.

"Good! If you were planning on giving up, I would've strongly considered slapping you. Anyway, you'll get your revenge next time, and be even stronger than ever, right?" Monica nodded in determination and clenched her fists.

"Oh yeah. Valerie, I'll be back for you, I promise." Monica rose to her feet with her mind made up. She would train the next day, and then come back to fight Valerie the day after. That time she would win, and nothing would stop her.

**X – X – X – X**

**That's it! We're done! There's nothing else to see here!**

… **Okay, maybe there is.**

**So, that's the chapter! Tristan managed to secure a badge, and so did Dash! Monica, however, fell to Dedenne of all things. Yes, Dedenne is actually useful (in this, at least!) Will Monica get her revenge when she fights Valerie next time? Heck, what's going to even happen in the next few chapters?**

**1-MVP for Tristan?  
2-Would you have liked to see Dash's/Monica's battle(s)?  
3-Who do you think Monica will use in her rematch with Valerie?**

**Well, that's it. Thanks for reading!**

Tristan's Team:

Gogoat – Level 39 – Seed Bomb, Grass Knot, Bulk Up, Earthquake

Diggersby – Level 37 – Quick Attack, Return, Earthquake, Double Kick

Vibrava – Level 38 – Earthquake, Rock Slide, Feint Attack, Bug Buzz

Greninja – Level 41 – Lick, Shadow Sneak, Water Pulse, Smack Down  
Manectric – Level 41 – Discharge, Flamethrower, Quick Attack, Thunder Fang


	40. Panic! At the Poké Ball Factory

**I hath returned.**

**So, we're back with chapter 40! Milestones! XD Last chapter was Tristan's victory over Valerie, as well as Dash's, but Monica was unable to secure a win. At the end of the chapter, she vowed to defeat Valerie after doing a bit more training.**

** El Torro – Dude, the Double Kick is so real. :P It does make sense, though. Gogoat didn't suck that much? Iz miracle! (But how did he get MVP? O-o) XD And yes, Greninja's battle was a bit lacking, but I did it for multiple reasons. So yeah, battles happened. Monica will come back with a vengeance, but will that be this chapter, next chapter, or 50 chapters from now? You'll have to see. Thanks for reviewing!**

** Warrior of Hope – Nah, it's fie. I've forgotten about updates before as well. Gym battles indeed! I hope you enjoyed that. (TxM flair you say? You never know…) Diggersby thoooo. :P As for Monica and Dash, you'll see a bit more of them in action in the future. Don't worry about that. Thanks for the review!**

**Let's go into the chapter now. Enjoy! (And no, I don't listen to Panic! At the Disco).**

**Chapter 40 - Panic! At the Poké Ball Factory**

The sky was merely a black cloak when the trio returned to Laverre City. The expanse above was littered with hundreds – no, thousands – of glittering specks of light, all of them encompassing a single, large sphere perched in outer space: the moon. The bright celestial body cast a glow upon the ground, aided by the sun's radiance. Gray clouds drifted through the sky at a snail's pace, eclipsing the moon for a brief period of time before passing by.

Using the moonlight to guide their way through the city of Laverre, Monica, Tristan and Dash braved their way to the Pokémon Center, battling a strong breeze the entire way. Monica's blond hair fluttered uselessly in the wind while Tristan and Dash both smirked in amusement, as their short hair proved advantageous in the environment.

However, the three were not alone as they meandered towards the Pokémon Center. Staraptor flew a few feet over Monica's head, occasionally flapping his wings to stay airborne. Meanwhile, Greninja walked alongside Tristan, nearly sinking into the darkness thanks to his black skin. The two creatures remained silent as the three humans near them chatted idly.

Greninja paused.

The amphibian's eyes narrowed as his gaze snapped to the left and focused on a line of bushes. The shiny Pokémon glared intently at the shrubbery, not noticing that his trainer was walking away; that, or he didn't care. Greninja, after taking one final glance, shrugged and took a step towards his trainer, sighing audibly.

The water type was far from done, however.

In a flash, the ninja whipped his head back towards the bushes and catapulted a dense stone from his mouth. The projectile soared through the air, but was carried slightly off course by the wind. The starter Pokémon's attack crumbled harmlessly against the ground, causing him to scowl. He had missed.

Regardless, the action elicited a panicked shout and a loud slew of curses as three figures burst from the shrubbery and began to sprint away from the amphibian. The cries caught the attention of Tristan, Dash and Monica immediately.

When the trio whirled around in surprise, they managed to witness the black-clad strangers rush off into the night, speaking to each other in hurried yet hushed whispers. The three teens exchanged glances, as did Staraptor and Greninja.

"If my hunch is correct, those are the admins. Come on, let's go," Monica ordered suddenly. Dash and Tristan nodded, as did the Pokémon beside them. Whatever the Deivis admins were up to, it couldn't be good – assuming it was them, that is. The group of teens began sprinting after the fleeing adults without another moment of hesitation, though they had no idea where – or what – their pursuit would lead them to.

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan's heart continued to beat at an increasingly quick pace and his breathing became more ragged as he dashed through Laverre City. Somehow, even with five sets of eyes in total, the trio of teens had misplaced the Deivis admins. Now, the Kalosian was desperate. Losing Deivis could mean losing something far greater.

However, though the three trainers knew how crucial it was to locate the fleeing figures, Monica, Tristan and Dash slowly came to a stop in the middle of one of the streets. The triad glanced around as they panted heavily from the elongated running session. Finally, Dash caught his breath.

"Where are they? We've looked all over the city! There aren't exactly a lot of places to go…" the teen inquired. Greninja stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"That's the problem," the water type spoke up, "They've probably left the city. Think: Is there anywhere outside the city that's worth visiting?" All five figures there paused for a brief moment to conjure an answer. Monica gasped and snapped her fingers.

"The Poké Ball Factory! They could've gone there!" the blond exclaimed. Staraptor smirked at his trainer's quick thinking.

"It shouldn't be far, then. I'll go scout out the area with Greninja. Just make sure to hurry," the bird volunteered. Monica grinned.

"Just because I can't fly doesn't mean I'm slow," she shot back, "Regardless, you two be careful." The two Pokémon nodded and shot each other glances before Staraptor flapped his powerful wings and took off into the air. Greninja waved curtly and then sprinted away at a speed hard to follow with the eye. The humans were alone.

"Let's hurry, then. I don't know what they need from the Poké Ball Factory, but it doesn't matter," Tristan said. Dash nodded.

"My point exactly." With that being said, the three trainers began to move once again. They would stumble upon Deivis soon; at least, that's what they were hoping for.

**X – X – X – X**

"Did we lose them?" a voice spoke. The two figures next to them nodded simultaneously.

"I think so," the second one voiced, "I'm glad we did. Those kids would've been a pain." The third smirked at the words.

"Speak for yourself, Trinity. Personally, I would've liked to battle them," Drew opined. Trinity rolled her eyes while Josh shook his head.

"We're not here to battle, Drew. We need to get in and get out. Let's just hope they don't find us here…" Josh muttered as he waved at his fellow admins to follow him. The trio began to take long strides across the paved road beneath them, muttering and swearing under their breath as they observed the numerous sets of stairs before them.

The three began to climb without another word, using the glow of the moon as a guide. The wind that had been present previously had died. The leaves on the trees no longer rustled. Everything was silent.

Suddenly, as the Deivis admins conquered the final flight of stairs, they heard a vicious squawk from behind them. Spinning around swiftly on their heels, the three criminals frowned when they saw Tristan, Monica and Dash jogging towards them with Staraptor flying overhead.

"They caught up?" Trinity wondered with a frustrated groan. Josh nodded.

"It seems so. We can't let them slow us down, though. Trinity, hold these clowns off while we go on ahead," the dark haired male ordered. The sole female admin rolled her eyes.

"Why me?"

"Because you'll have to battle eventually, whether you like it or not. Deal with it. Come on, Josh." Drew began to flee the scene, and Josh nodded in obedience and trailed the taller male. Trinity rolled her eyes.

"They better be quick about it," she grumbled. The admin drew a Poké Ball from her belt swiftly as she watched Dash, Monica and Tristan approach.

"I don't have time for this! Dusknoir, end this quickly!" In a bright flash of light, a large gray ghost appeared with large fists. Several yellow markings spanned the creature's body and, as the ghost type floated above the ground, its sole red eye scanned the three teens before him. Just as swiftly, however, Diggersby, Malamar and Chesnaught appeared before Tristan, Monica and Dash respectively.

"Guys, what are you doing? We don't have time for this! I'll handle her, just stop the other two!" Monica barked. Tristan glanced at the blond before conceding silently and sprinting past Trinity with Diggersby, who made no effort to stop the Kalosian. Dash sighed and reluctantly followed the boy with Chesnaught, also breezing past Trinity and her menacing ghost type without trouble.

Trinity smirked.

"I thank you, blondie. You just made this _so _much easier for me." Monica rolled her eyes at the remark.

"We'll see! Malamar, Night Slash!"

**X – X – X – X**

Dash and Tristan entered the factory in a flash, immediately turning their heads as if they were on swivels to search for the two remaining Deivis admins. However, the two teens were able to see very little of interest amidst a myriad of conveyor belts, crates of Poké Balls, and dimly lit areas.

"Well, they have to be here somewhere…" Dash muttered. As if on cue, the duo picked up on the sound of feet plodding across the factory floor. The sound echoed ever so slightly as it grew louder and louder. The two teens tensed up, as did their two Pokémon.

A laugh was heard as two figures rounded the corner, both fairly tall.

"I suppose Trinity was too lazy to stop you two," Drew assumed with grin, "No matter, I'm going to enjoy beating the both of you down." The bulky figure beside him chuckled and cracked his knuckles.

"Machamp, Dynamic Punch on the rabbit!"

**X – X – X – X**

"Break it with Focus Blast!" Trinity countered swiftly. As Malamar's energy-coated tentacles whipped forward to unleash two pitch-black crescents of energy, Trinity's intimidating ghost type began to form a pulsing yellow sphere in his hands. With a grunt, the bulky creature threw one arm forward, propelling the condense ball of energy towards Malamar's attack.

The fighting type move broke through Night Slash with ease and crashed into Malamar's body, throwing the squid creature backwards and into Monica. The blond winced from the impact and stood up gingerly, helping the dark type to its feet.

"Now, Will-O-Wisp!" Dusknoir's single red eye flashed for a brief second before summoning a single red flame around Malamar's body. The status-inflicting move encircled the dual type before melting into Malamar's skin, though it appeared to do nothing.

"Just keep moving, Malamar! Night Slash again!" Trinity yawned at the simple move.

"Shadow Sneak." Dusknoir chuckled and merged with the ground in an instant as the powerful dark type attack flew over his head. A split second passed by before the ghost type burst from the ground and delivered a vicious right hook to Malamar's cranium.

The psychic type was not prepared to take the blow and immediately flopped to the ground with a loud scream, shattering the pavement below on impact. Monica gasped at the sight and fought the urge to cry out as well. Malamar winced again as small embers flew off of its body from being burned by Will-O-Wisp.

"Now, Ice Punch!"

"Rock Slide!" Both trainers cried out, almost in unison. Dusknoir lurched forward as his fist became encased in ice, and Malamar began to summon sizeable boulders above Dusknoir's head. Time seemed to slow down briefly as Dusknoir swung his fist at Malamar, who was still flat on its back.

With a loud smack, Dusknoir's fist dug into Malamar's face, muffling the creature's scream of intense pain. Dusknoir slunk away from the ensuing barrage of rocks with ease immediately after and guffawed sadistically as he shook Malamar's blood off of his fist. The psychic type continued to wail in pain, and Monica could only watch in horror. Dusknoir reared his fist back once again.

"Malamar, return!" the blond shouted abruptly as she drew the squid's Poké Ball into the open. In a bright flash of red light, the injured Pokémon was sucked into its Poké Ball, narrowly avoiding another one of Dusknoir's vicious punches. Monica looked on in fear at the powerful creature. The blond tried to calm her nerves and work up some courage, even though it seemed that Dusknoir was staring a hole in her head.

After a few moments, Monica suddenly bent her legs and stepped forward. The blond blitzed past Dusknoir and made a beeline for Trinity without a second thought, startling both of the Deivis members.

The pale girl's eyes widened as Monica slammed into her with her shoulder. Trinity wheezed as she felt the air rush out of her lungs. The black haired admin crashed to the ground, landing on her arm. Monica then ran past her, not looking back. Dusknoir narrowed his single, red eye and glared daggers at the fleeing blond, but Trinity held her hand out as she rose to her feet.

"Don't bother, Dusknoir," the indifferent trainer ordered, "We've done what we were told to do..."

The wind began to pink up slightly as Trinity smirked.

"Besides, she can't do anything about her situation… None of them can."

**X – X – X – X**

"Dodge it, Diggersby!" Tristan barked. The rabbit bent his legs quickly and dove to the side, only for Machamp's muscled arm to snap the side. The fighting type's crimson-coated fist slammed into Diggersby's stomach in an instant, throwing the normal type into the wall behind him. Machamp grinned and cracked his knuckles, but Dash wasn't keen on letting him stand around.

"Tackle him, Chesnaught!" The burly grass type obeyed without hesitation, recklessly throwing his body at the four-armed powerhouse before him. Drew shook his head.

"Don't yell stuff out, idiot! Machamp, turn and grab it!" As Chesnaught flung himself at Machamp, the muscular humanoid raised two arms and gripped his grass type opponent by his two arms. Machamp shook his head and uttered taunting words as he tightened his grip on Chesnaught's arm, which caused the starter Pokémon to squirm uncomfortably.

"Quick Attack into Return, Diggersby!" Tristan ordered swiftly. After dislodging his body from the wall, the bipedal rabbit sprinted across the ground at a surprisingly quick pace despite his injuries and jumped towards Machamp as an intense blue aura surrounded him.

The normal type was cut off, however, when Machamp's glowing fist clobbered him and spiked him into the ground. Diggersby hit the ground like a ton of bricks and coughed up a spurt of blood onto his chest. Tristan paled. Meanwhile, Drew guffawed as Machamp dug his fists into Chesnaught's body repeatedly before tossing him into a nearby wall.

"Easy! It was fun while it lasted though, kiddos! I'd suggest quitting while you're ahead. Especially you, Tristan! You don't want another dead Pokémon, do you?" he sneered. The words cut through the air like a knife and silence ensued. Tristan trembled as he slowly recalled Diggersby to his Poké Ball.

Did Drew really mention Chansey? The teen stared blankly at the ground as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

He was frozen to the ground and frozen by the memories of the incredibly kind creature's passing. The loss still stung, no matter how hard he tried to forget it. How could he forget it?

Tristan was jarred from his less-than-positive thoughts when he heard Dash shout at him. The brown haired teen's gaze snapped up just in time to see a large hand fly towards him, which he might have been able to dodge had he not been preoccupied. He would have screamed in shock, too, had the hand not closed around his neck. Tristan squirmed incessantly in Machamp's iron grip, but the humanoid creature only cackled at his futile attempts to free himself.

Dash gulped as Machamp closed in on him in less than a second and latched on to his neck as well. The fighting type lifted the two teens high into the air proudly as if he was winning an award. Drew chuckled lowly as he approached Machamp's side.

"Excellent work, Machamp. Now, we just need to wait on Josh to hurry up…"

"No! Stop!" Drew raised an eyebrow at the voice while Dash and Tristan paled.

"Who do we have here? Ah, yes, the blonde… You were a bit to late to do anything, _Monica_," he taunted, putting extra emphasis on her name. The tallest admin snapped his fingers, prompting Machamp to lunge forward and snatch Monica up by the neck. The blonde could only squeak in pain as the four-armed freak lifted her up, too. Drew shook his head as he walked up the trapped trio.

"Then again, it wouldn't have mattered. You three would've lost regardless. Now you can wait like good children for Josh to return!" Then, as if on cue, another voice rang out.

"Drew, we're done here! Let's get out," Josh called. The blonde admin rolled his eyes.

"It's about time! I was afraid I was going to be old by the time you came back," he teased with a smirk. Josh elbowed the taller Deivis admin.

"Whatever. I just had to double check that I had everything taken care of, and we have to go out with a bang, of course." The play on words didn't go over the heads of the defeated trainers locked in Machamp's grip, and they paled. They wouldn't blow up another building, would they?

"Right, right. Let's go." After the curt order, the two men dashed out of the building, and Machamp pursued them, still not relinquishing his grip on Tristan, Dash and Monica. The three trainers exchanged worried glances. A few minutes passed before the group reached the bottom of the lengthy area of stairs, where Trinity was waiting.

"It's about time!" she muttered. Drew chuckled.

"That's what I said."

"Shut it," Josh growled, "I had to do the real work. Anyway, I got what we came here for. So just blow the place sky high and let's get out of here."

"You're sure? I hope you realize if you don't have at least that one item you've screwed everything up," Drew admonished. Josh rolled his eyes and opened the bag that was slung over his shoulder before displaying its contents to Drew and Trinity, who both nodded.

"Gotcha. Okay, Machamp, you know what to do," Drew continued as he raised a device in his hand. The well-muscled fighting type nodded and lifted the three teens in his arms even higher. He turned them to face the Poké Ball Factory with a low chuckle. A split second later, Drew's thumb mashed a sole red button on the device in his hand and a deafening explosion occurred from inside the factory. Large plumes of smoke erupted from the building, and a fire threatened to burn what little remained.

That was all the three teens witnessed before they felt their bodies move like ragdolls.

Then, in one swift motion, Machamp bashed their three heads together before releasing his grip.

The trio fell limply to the ground as the Deivis members sprinted away.

**X – X – X – X **

**Whaaat? Yes. That is all.**

**So, that was a bit crazy. After a day of training, our protagonists walked back into town only to find the three Deivis admins. They pursued them to the Poké Ball Factory only to get slaughtered (not literally of course) by Trinity's Dusknoir and Drew's Machamp. After that, the Deivis admins went out with a bang, fled, and left the trio's bodies on the ground. Oh crap.**

**On a different note: You don't have to say it, I'm aware. I took way too long to post this. School, etc. got in the way. Sorry. But hey, this chapter got posted. It's a bit on the shorter side, but I think it's a good one (or at least filled with a lot of crazy). Thanks for sticking with me. Hopefully updates become more frequent, and I hope you enjoyed!**

**1-Battles though? How did you like what little you saw? Sure, they were short, but are there things about them that you can comment about?**

**2-Deivis what the heck? What do you think they even needed from the Poké Ball Factory?**

**3-Just a random one: Who is your favorite Deivis admin? Why?**


	41. Chapter 41 - Aftermath

**Hey! What's up everyone? It's chapter time! :P**

**So, if you need a reminder, last chapter featured our three protagonists encountering the Deivis admins at the Poké Ball Factory near Laverre City, and they got destroyed. Then, after blowing up the place and knocking the trio out, the admins left. **

**Oh wait, it's actually review time right now. Chapter time will happen in a minute. XD**

** JustinThePokemonMaster – I appreciate that. I may take a while from time to time, but I'll always try to make it good. As for the chapter: They might be dead. You'll see. :P I'm glad you liked the battles! I was hoping you guys would. (Drew tho!) Thanks for reviewing!**

** Warrior of Hope – Thank you! I hope it was good. :P Yeah, while Monica put up a fight (and knocked over Trinity!), she still got wrecked like the other two. Deivis will be stupidly strong for a while compared to those three. You say it's a Master Ball, huh? You're not the only one. You might be right, we'll see! (Again, Drew tho! Trinity too. Honestly, I like all of the admins but Josh is my least favorite lol). I appreciate the review!**

** ElTorro – Happy tears. :D I haven't missed a beat though? That's always good. But yes, Monica went out there to take names that battle (she almost had no choice, really). I mean, she still got destroyed, but she did get some revenge. Dude, I'm surprised you're the only one commenting about Chansey. XD Yeah, Drew frankly didn't care about Tristan's feelings. At all. GG. The admins will continue to destroy our protagonists in battle, if not emotionally as well. One final thing though: I said this to WoH if you didn't read it, but the admins may or may not have picked up a Master Ball. What I didn't say, however, was could they have picked up something else non-Poké Ball related? Who knows? Thank you for the review!**

** davidtheman23 – I usually post teams at the end of the chapter. But, I've forgotten to do so for the past few chapters, my bad! I'll try to remember. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Yes, we can start now. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 41 – The Relentless Revenge**

Monica awoke with a start and sat up abruptly. The blond regretted the choice instantly, however, as she clutched her head in pain.

"Ow…" the girl muttered as she looked around. She was sitting in a bed with white sheets, and the room that surrounded her was just as plain. The walls were incredibly drab, too, and the annoyingly bright lights overhead caused the Kalosian to squint.

"Monica?" The sudden voice caused the girl to jump, which only made her clutch her head once again.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to surprise you. How are you feeling?" It was Nurse Joy. The kind, pink haired individual smiled warmly at the teenage girl as she awaited an answer.

"I-I'm fine, thank you. What happened?" she inquired. Nurse Joy glanced down at the clipboard in her hand briefly before locking eyes with Monica. The owner of the Pokémon Center rubbed her head and sat down in a chair next to the teen's bed.

"Things are a bit complicated… Some people blew up the Poké Ball Factory, and you were one of three people found there." Monica's eyes lit up at the information, though it wasn't new, and motioned for the nurse to continue.

"You three were rushed here immediately. All three of you have very minor injuries." Monica breathed a sigh of relief at this as she clutched the bed sheets covering her.

"So Tristan and Dash are okay? We got knocked out and all, and that kinda worries me." Nurse Joy smiled genuinely as she glanced back at her clipboard.

"They are, they are. You, however, have given me quite the scare. You just now woke up, while the boys woke up shortly after arriving here. Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Monica nodded emphatically.

"Yep!" the girl responded as she hopped off of the bed. The blond hit the floor feet first and bounced slightly on her heels, though her apparent energy was marked by a slight grimace. However, she quickly smiled and pointed to her head.

"See? I just have a slight headache, that's all." Nurse Joy chuckled at the blonde's now upbeat mood.

"I do see! Your headache's not out of the ordinary, so I don't think you have anything to worry about. Give me a few more minutes, though; then you can go meet with your friends," the kind woman commanded. Monica beamed.

"Sounds good! Thank you, Nurse Joy!"

**X – X – X – X**

"Well hello there! What a surprise!" an older man exclaimed. The dark haired male beside him, someone much younger, raised an eyebrow while glancing at his neighbor. His blackish-gray eyes flitted back to the screen in front of him before narrowing.

"Forgive me, Looker, but who are we talking to?" Blade inquired as he scooted closer to the screen.

"Tristan. So, how've you been?" the detective asked cordially. Tristan smiled slightly as he rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. The teen shifted in his chair and leaned slightly towards the screen in front of him. His face became somber, catching the inquiring detective's attention.

"It's been an adventure, that's for sure…" Tristan glanced over his shoulder, observing the lobby of the Pokémon Center. Fortunately, he was the only soul around.

"Deivis attacked last night here in Laverre," he muttered finally. Looker's eyes widened along with Blade's.

"They did? What did they do this time, and why am I just now hearing about this? Is anyone injured?" Looker's volume increased drastically as his gaze flickered between Blade and Tristan. Blade shrugged.

"It's news to me, too. Go on, Tristan."

"Yeah… Well, Dash, Monica and I were the only ones there when they attacked super late at night. We found them towards the outskirts of Laverre, and we pursued them to the Poké Ball Factory. But, two of the admins impeded our progress while the third ran in to grab some items. After that, they knocked us out and blew up the factory in typical Deivis fashion…" Tristan sighed and rubbed his head at the thought as the two men before him soaked in the information.

"That's troubling…" Blade muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "And you have no idea what they stole?" Tristan shrugged.

"I can only assume Poké Balls of some sort. I don't know, really." Looker scratched his head and grumbled something out of frustration. The gray haired man exchanged glances with Blade before nodding.

"Well, as much as I would love to chat, we have some thinking to do. I'm glad you three are okay… just make sure to stay that way." Tristan gave Looker and thumbs up before tapping a red button in the shape of an X that sat in the top right hand corner of the screen, ending their video chat immediately. Exhaling dramatically, Tristan used his left arm as a headrest and began to drum the fingers on his right hand against the table monotonously. The teen shook his head.

"_I hope we stay that way, too… I'm not having another Chansey on my hands."_

**X – X – X – X**

The sound of footsteps greeted Tristan's ears, startling the teen that was lost in thought. It was the first sign up activity he had noticed all morning. Naturally, as his instincts dictated, the brown haired teen spun around in the chair he was perched on to figure out the source of the noise. Tristan grinned.

"Good morning, you two!" he greeted, "I see you're finally awake." Monica and Dash, walking side by side, waved and strolled over to the teen. The much taller teen yawned and stretched his arms, reaching for the ceiling.

"What can I say? I was tired… Still am," Dash remarked with a grin. Monica rolled her eyes at the comment.

"You think you're tired? I slept longer than the both of you combined and I'm still tired," she joked. Dash chuckled and shrugged simultaneously, knowing that the girl's claim held some truth.

"Whatever you say. It doesn't really matter, though. We're all awake, and boy am I ready to go do something!" Tristan pointed at the tall teen as he hopped off of his chair.

"I'm right there with you, but first things first. Feeling alright, Monica?" inquired the brown haired teen. The blond gave the curious boy a quick but emphatic nod.

"You bet I am! Nurse Joy held me for a few minutes after I woke up just to make sure I didn't have any serious injuries, and luckily I didn't! With that being said, I'm ready to get out of here and go do something!" Monica cried enthusiastically. Tristan and Dash grinned, nodding in agreement.

Seeing this, the sole girl mirrored their expressions and surged towards the door of the Pokémon Center with a spring in her step. A confused Dash glanced at Tristan, who shrugged.

"Hurry up, you two!" Monica called, "I know exactly what I want to do today!" Tristan sighed and shook his head.

"She's a lot like you sometimes, Dash. Admittedly, that scares me," the brown haired teen joked. Dash rolled his eyes and punched his friend lightly in the arm.

"Oh please, I'm not that bad… Okay, maybe. Still, you were like that a lot when we were younger," the dark skinned teen reminded him. Tristan shrugged, conceding defeat.

"Fair enough, my friend, fair enough. Anyway, let's go before we lose her."

"Yep. I'll be right there with you."

**X – X – X – X**

A lone figure sat in their office, positioned behind their rather sturdy wooden desk, tapping a pen lightly against a blank piece of paper. With a sigh, they ripped the cap of the utensil off and cast it to the ground before doodling on the spotless surface in boredom.

A knock greeted their ears. The sound, though sudden, did little to rattle their mood.

"Come in," they muttered as they adjusted their headwear. The person then resumed their absentminded scrawling on the piece of paper before them, creating thicker and thicker trails of ink that spanned the whole page.

The knocking persisted.

"I said you can enter!" the solitary figure snapped, slamming their free hand on their desk. On the other side of the door, the sound of frantic fumbling seeped into the small office space. After a few seconds of waiting, three figures burst into the room, already bowing apologetically.

"My apologies, Jordan, I did not here you answer," the leading male, Josh, uttered. Jordan rolled their eyes while glaring at the two admins behind him, who also bowed apologetically. The masked menace nodded towards the door, still scribbling on the piece of paper residing on their desk, which was now half covered in black ink.

Picking up on the indirect command, Trinity hurriedly closed the door before returning to Drew's side, and the three Deivis admins sat down before their boss.

"We're here on time just like you asked us, Jordan," Drew remarked with a proud smirk. Jordan grunted and clapped mockingly, though they quickly resumed drawing. The three admins glanced at each other in silent perplexity.

"Jordan?" queried Trinity. The person in question scowled and snapped their gaze to the only female admin, causing the pale woman to freeze up.

"I'll speak when I choose to, Trinity," hissed the leader of Deivis. The ebony haired girl nodded meekly and cast her stare to the ground. Jordan muttered something incomprehensible and returned their focus to their desk.

Finally, a few minutes and numerous painstaking pen strokes later, Jordan sighed and dropped their pen onto their desk.

"Now, where was I? Ah yes, I called you three here to discuss our future plans. Now, we have no set date yet, but I'd like to enlighten you three now. We are very near to reaching our goal, though you may not know it. So, with that being said, our next mission can NOT be screwed up by you imbeciles, understand?" Jordan barked. The three admins nodded, bearing the insult without a response.

"As you three know, we have the items from Coumarine City, Parfum Palace, and the Poké Ball Factory. However, there's one final location, and it arguably has the items most crucial to this plan." Again, the trio of admins nodded.

"And where is that, Jordan?" Drew wondered, only to tense up, remembering what happened when Trinity spoke. To the blonde's relief, his leader disregarded the outburst, seemingly unprovoked, and continued speaking.

"We'll be heading to Terminus Cave. I hope you three are ready to do some caving."

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan, Monica and Dash all stood in a small triangle outside of the Pokémon Center door, laughing and smiling jovially. The trio, though they attracted occasional stares, flinched not. Their laughter soon died down, however, when the stares became more frequent.

"Okay, maybe we were a bit too loud…" Dash muttered sheepishly. Monica rolled her eyes.

"I tried telling you!" she snapped. The talkative male shrugged the comment off, causing Monica to simmer.

"Guys, guys, it's fine. Anyway, congratulations on finally winning that badge, Monica!" celebrated Tristan. The girl beamed at him.

"Thanks! It's about time! Deivis kinda threw a wrench in my plans." The trio frowned at the thought and shook it off quickly. After a moment of silence, Dash made an effort to incite another conversation.

"So, Tristan, what's next?" asked the tall teen. The brown haired boy stroked his chin for a moment, and then snapped his fingers. Tristan grinned.

"I'm getting ahead of the curve! I'll be travelling the next route for the rest of the day. Who knows? If I'm lucky I'll make it to the next town when night falls," he decided. Monica smirked.

"You're sounding like Dash right now," she teased. Tristan chuckled as Dash faked indignation.

"I'm just really looking forward to the next part of the journey, you know? Something tells me the home stretch will be one to remember. With that being said, I think I'll hit the road. See you guys later!" Tristan smiled and waved at Monica and Dash as he strolled away from the Pokémon Center, leaving his two friends behind.

'_Let's see what the future holds. Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be crazy. Anistar City, here I come!_' Tristan thought with a grin. After a few more minutes, the Kalosian, now alone, took his first step onto the next route. With a deep breath, he pressed on, not glancing back.

**X – X – X – X**

Jordan yawned as they leaned back in their chair, kicking their feet up and resting them on their desk. They smiled happily as they pondered their success.

'_Everything has been pretty smooth so far,_' the masked figure opined silently. Suddenly, the Deivis leader's mood turned sour, and their face scrunched up behind their mask.

'_Except for THAT man; Looker has been a thorn in my side for far too long, him and his stupid International Police…_' Jordan grumbled at the thought of the older man as they resumed their normal seating position. The masked mastermind's eyes flitted to a corner of their desk, on which resided a small picture frame. The piece of paper from earlier, now coated in black ink on both sides, rested beneath it.

In a sudden outburst of anger, Jordan's arm lurched forward and latched on to the frame, holding the small picture in their palm. With a cry, the leader of Deivis smashed the picture frame on the corner of their desk, shattering the glass that covered the picture behind it.

Muttering incoherent thoughts, Jordan dropped the frame to the ground, but saved the picture from falling. Their eyes narrowed in disgust as they gazed at the picture, which captured a beaming Looker.

"You've been an absolute pain, Looker. But soon, very soon, I'll be the thorn in your side." Jordan inhaled dramatically and ripped the picture of Looker into shreds, and then gathered the scraps in their palms. Grinning sadistically, they dropped the fragmented picture onto the corner of their desk, right on top of the paper blackened by ink.

Without skipping a beat, Jordan's hands picked up the entity – scraps and whole paper both – and crumpled it into a ball. Callously, Jordan tossed the paper sphere over their shoulder and into a trashcan in the corner. Jordan chuckled as they leaned back in their chair once again.

"Soon, Looker, soon."

**X – X – X – X**

"Looker, I just don't get it. Really, I don't. What could they possibly be after?" Blade grumbled with an added sigh. The older man ran a hand through his hair and shook his head as he continued poring over dry volumes of encyclopedias and historical works.

"I wish I could say with certainty. Here, let's go over Deivis' acquisitions once more. They retrieved incenses from Coumarine, and most likely nabbed Parfum Palace's Poké Flute. The Poké Ball Factory, however, is an enigma to me…" Blade nodded solemnly.

"Exactly. Logic dictates that they would be aiming for what the factory is known for: Poké Balls. Probably the Master Ball, don't you think? I heard that one was being held there," added the black haired teen. Blade rubbed his eyes, which now seemed to be more gray than black, and leaned back in his chair.

"I just can't help but think we're missing something, Looker. Assuming we're correct about the other items, have they stolen anything else that we don't know about? On top of that, what do they want, and what do they need next?" The other detective grunted in response, though he said nothing else. Finally, Looker froze.

"Blade…"

"Yeah?"

"It's not looking good," Looker murmured as he waved the teen over, "Here, look at this." Blade raised an eyebrow in curiosity and obediently moved to his side, following the older man's index finger to a certain line in the open encyclopedia.

"Looker, why are you reading old mythology?" he scoffed. Looker rolled his eyes.

"Just read it!" he sighed impatiently. Blade held his hands up defensively and took a seat, leaning in to read the old text, which was slightly faded yet legible. His eyes scanned the page.

The sixteen year old, after a few moments, gulped and glanced at his fellow detective.

"You can't be serious! Are they mad? There's no way they'd be going for this, Looker!" he shouted. The older man frowned.

"Think about it, Blade! Everything this myth talks about is something they have. Even if we don't know all of their possessions, the locations they attacked correspond with the items this myth talks about! This has to be it!" Blade mirrored Looker's scowl.

"Looker, you're an intelligent man, and I respect that. But for once, I'm hoping you're wrong. After all, if you are right…" Blade cradled his head in his hands, "This is bad. Really, really bad."

"We can't take any chances, Blade. I'm as concerned as you are. But if they're aiming for Terminus Cave, we can't let them by. We'll have to stop them there. We'll probably have to set up guards there around the clock," suggested the head of the International Police.

"And if they get past us?" Blade asked. Looker trained his gaze on the floor as he slowly shut the mythology encyclopedia.

"Then that will be the biggest blunder in history, my friend."

**X – X – X – X**

**Bold words from Looker, bold words indeed. Crazy stuff. So! This chapter was about, well, the aftermath of the Deivis attack. Jordan and the admins are planning what seems to be their final assault on Terminus Cave, while Looker and Blade think they've figured out what Deivis is truly after. Meanwhile, oblivious to the fact, Monica, Tristan and Dash have had a laid-back day in Laverre City, where Monica finally gets her gym badge.**

**Now, you're probably wondering why this took over a month to get out for only being ~3,000 words. Well, if you want to know, here's why: I got bodied by a lot of school stuff, and I also did a LOT of restructuring for this chapter. It originally had Monica's battle involved, as well as two other scenes, but I decided to cut those out and focus on the truly important stuff. Forgive me, please. XD**

**1-What do you think Deivis plans on doing?**

**2-Would you have liked to see Monica's battle? Why or why not? (If your reason is because you want to see more battles, you'll get a lot of that soon, don't worry!)**

**3-Anistar City Arc hype? We still have 2 chapters before it, but they're good ones.**

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It seems things are getting a bit more worrisome, but hey, Tristan's heading our for badge number seven now! The Anistar Arc is coming up very soon (in about 2 chapters now), and I'm really looking forward to it. I hope you all are, too. Until next time!**


	42. Chapter 42 - Social Dragonfly

**Here we go, here we go! Chapter 42 is upon you all! Let's jump into it (after reviews lol).**

** davidtheman23 – I'm glad you liked it! :D You'll see eventually what this chapter is leading up to. Whether it's the obvious choice (unicorn), or the silly choice (Zygarde), the outcome will be a great one. Who knows? It may be neither. And yes, Anistar hype! Thanks for reviewing!**

** El Torro – Ominous you say? It's ominous and true, my friend. It's a scary though, isn't it? Fail one time and you've failed everyone. But yeah, Zygarde seems like an obvious choice, but is it the correct choice? Who knows? The answer could be right in front of you. Thanks for the compliment and the review, sir!**

**Okay, now we can start. :P I will say, though, that this chapter will be kinda short (and so will the next one). "But Shadow!" I can imagine you saying, "Why not combine the two?" Well, the plots for 42 and 43 are a day apart (and don't mesh well), and there's no good title to use for the combo of the two. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Chapter 42 – Social Dragonfly**

The town of Dendemille was a small, placid place. A mere four houses and one massive, iconic windmill marked its hilly surface, along with a Pokémon Center in the south side of the town.

Mornings in Dendemille could be especially silent. More often than not, nobody was awake in the early hours of the day, when the sun was barely peaking over the horizon and casting a faint glow upon the clear water of Dendemille's river, which cut through the south half of the town. Not a soul was present to travel north, where there was a bridge that led straight to a path blanketed thinly by snow; that path led to another significant landmark: Frost Cavern.

Knowing this, Tristan forced himself to wake up bright and early, eager to begin his first full day in Dendemille with the allure of being undisturbed on his mind. However, the fifteen-year-old had no interest in exploring the icy cavern to the north. Instead, he thought it more suitable to train.

At least, that was the position he held after Gogoat nagged him about it for minutes on end.

Conveniently, on the bank of the river that was the farthest south, there was a path that was wide and open. It was this path that Tristan and his entire team opted to train at. The various Pokémon had split into groups, with Manectric and Greninja training with one another as well as discussing techniques, and Gogoat and Diggersby doing the same.

The brown haired teen watched in amusement as Diggersby and Gogoat began to stage mock battles, testing their agility and strength against one another. All the while, however, Tristan couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

"Tristan!" The sound of his own name drew the pondering teen from his thoughts, and Tristan gazed at the source of the sound.

"Tristan," Manectric repeated as he strolled over to his trainer, "Greninja and I were wondering if you could referee a battle between us. You totally should! I like fighting, it's pretty fun; Greninja is strong, too, so it should be extra fun!" The Kalosian laughed at the canine's energy and gave the electric type a pat on the head.

"Give me a second, Manectric, and I'll be glad to. Gogoat, Diggersby, are you guys alright?" he inquired. As he turned his gaze, Tristan nearly palmed his face when he saw the two Pokémon in a deadlock, as if they were wrestling. Gogoat gritted his teeth as he pushed against Diggersby, who was holding the grass type back with his massive ears.

"I guess that's a yes," Tristan decided with a smile. The teen then turned around to see Greninja and Manectric standing feet away from each other, both gazing expectantly at their trainer. Tristan rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"Yes, you guys can start now." Greninja nodded silently and leapt backwards while Manectric did the same as static danced over his fur. Before Tristan could speak another word, the two creatures sprang into action.

Manectric bent his knees and rushed forward in the blink of an eye as streaks of white flew off of his body, though his great speed didn't elicit a reaction from his amphibian opponent. Greninja smirked beneath his tongue scarf, which began to unravel as he flashed a dark gray.

Suddenly, before the speeding canine had a chance to react, Greninja's tongue shot forward and latched onto Manectric's neck. With surprising strength, Greninja jerked his head back and dragged Manectric along the ground before flinging him into a nearby tree. The dog yelped in pain as he slid to the ground from the impact, but quickly rose to his feet and snarled on instinct.

Greninja, still as stone faced as ever, rewrapped his tongue around his face and motioned for Manectric to resume the battle, an offer that the electric type was more than happy to take.

Again, the canine blitzed forward with impressive speed, though Greninja was able to track Manectric's movements with his eyes. However, the shiny Pokémon was startled when Manectric disappeared from view after kicking his speed up a notch. Before the starter Pokémon could react, Greninja's canine adversary appeared behind him and clamped down on his shoulder with fangs crackling with electricity.

Greninja shrieked as Manectric's teeth dug in to his skin, but he struggled through the pain and backhanded the canine. Manectric stumbled back with a whimper, allowing Greninja to sprint away to safety. However, the electric type was extremely persistent and raced after the fleeing creature with Quick Attack, catching up to him in an instant.

Wide eyed, Greninja turned around while hurriedly forming a Water Pulse in his palm. He cocked his arm back and threw it forward, slamming the sphere of aquatic energy into Manectric's open jaws.

Almost as if on purpose, the canine again chomped down on Greninja with fangs covered in high voltage energy, taking the brunt of the Water Pulse head on but dealing significant damage to the water type. Greninja, in a panicked frenzy, spat a large boulder straight into Manectric's face.

The Discharge Pokémon staggered backwards with an agonizing yelp, nearly tripping over his own feet. Greninja, too, shied away from the battle while clutching his hand in pain. Both Pokémon glanced up, meeting each other eye to eye.

Tristan spectated the battle in silent apprehension, assessing the injuries of both creatures. Though both had sustained nearly the same damage, Greninja's wounds were far more apparent. The teen frowned, wondering if he should stop the fighting. Before he could make up his mind, however, the two lunged at one another yet again.

With a howl, Manectric leapt into the air as fire built up in his throat. In a split second, the canine rained fire upon the earth with a fierce Flamethrower attack. Greninja, finally in his right mind, sank into the earth as he flashed gray once again. Manectric dropped the ground shortly after in disappointment; he knew his attack had missed.

However, there was little the canine could do about the predicament he was in. Greninja was slinking in the shadows in an unknown location, and he could appear anywhere at any time. Manectric's nervousness shone through as he used Quick Attack to dart around the battlefield.

Right as the yellow and blue creature made his second lap around the field, Greninja burst from the ground with two Water Spheres in his webbed hands. Now it was the Hoenn Pokémon's turn to panic, seeing Greninja lunge at him. On pure instinct, the quadruped barked and unleashed a Discharge attack as quickly as he could muster the strength.

The result was shocking to Tristan, including Diggersby and Gogoat, who had ceased their sparring to observe the fight. As the blinding wave of lightning radiated from Manectric's body and expanded outwards, Greninja's dual Water Pulses smashed into Manectric's face, exploding into a fierce wave.

The wave threw the electric type backwards into the tree behind him with a loud thud, rattling the trunk and sending startled bird Pokémon into the air. Manectric sank to the ground with a whimper, his legs collapsing from the strain of keeping his own weight up.

Meanwhile, the overwhelming wave of electricity soared through the air and collided with Greninja's body, thoroughly electrocuting the amphibian and causing him to drop to his knees with another screech of pain. Greninja fell face first to the ground while smoke rose up from his flesh.

Tristan gulped and hurriedly sprinted over to Greninja's side, as he was closest to him. The teen knelt down by his first Pokémon's side worriedly.

"Greninja, are you alright?" The frog groaned as he used his arms to barely push himself up. Smoke still rose up from his body when he spoke.

"Dang Manectric hurts," he wheezed, eliciting a chuckle from his trainer, "But yes, I'm fine. I'll just need to be healed soon." Tristan nodded and began to rummage through his backpack; he returned moments later with a Full Restore in his hand.

"Here, this should help you out," said the teen with a sigh. Greninja gratefully grabbed the bottle from his trainer's hand and began to spray it on his wounds, namely his shoulder and hand. Though hissing slightly from the initial contact of the liquid, Greninja soon grinned at the relief the medicine brought. Tristan then extended his hand as he stood up, helping Greninja to get back on his feet.

Then, without another word, Tristan and Greninja sprinted over to Manectric, who was curled up by the base of the tree. The teen knelt down, grabbed the Full Restore from Greninja's outstretched palm with one hand, and used his free hand to pet Manectric.

"Feeling alright?" he asked. Manectric mustered the strength to nod, and his tail wagged slightly.

"Yep! Greninja's really strong though. We should fight again some time." Tristan smiled at the canine's words as he continued to pet him.

"Maybe, but not today. You guys went a bit too far, if you ask me. That's okay, I guess. You both looked like you were enjoying yourselves for the most part." Manectric began to apologize, but Tristan raised his hand to silence him before applying the Full Restore to Manectric's wounds. The canine rose to his feet soon after, feeling rejuvenated.

"So did I do good, Tristan?" inquired the electric type as his tail thumped against the grass. Tristan grinned and glanced at Greninja.

"You both did very well. Both of you were able to show off your impressive speed and power, which I guess is a reason for why the battle ended so quickly. Personally, I think you both held your own well without a bit of extra guidance. But please don't go so hard next time, you guys scared me." Greninja bowed apologetically.

"Right, right. If we do this again, Manectric, let's make sure to tone it down. I did enjoy our bout, though; you're definitely a powerful adversary," praised the dark type. The canine grinned.

"Thank you, thank you. You're strong, too! And when we do fight again, I'll win!" he barked excitedly. The Hoenn Pokémon's ally laughed.

"We'll have to see, won't we? I'm looking forward to it, my friend." The two nodded in mutual respect. Tristan grinned at the scene.

"_Those two are crazy," _he thought in amusement. Tristan chuckled inwardly and turned around, intending on asking Gogoat and Diggersby what their opinion of the battle was, only to find them fighting each other once again.

"Those two are crazy, too," the teen joked, "But hey, at least everyone's eager to train." The fact that everyone was willing to train aroused a sense of pride in the Kalosian, though that feeling soon turned to a mix of confusion and fear. Tristan so badly wanted to smack himself.

"_Oh my, I'm an idiot! Where's Vibrava?" _the teen scolded himself mentally. Tristan whirled around to face Greninja and Manectric.

"You two stay here and don't get into trouble, alright? Keep those two in check, too," he ordered, pointing a thumb at the brawling Diggersby and Gogoat. Manectric nodded in blind obedience and trotted towards his other two teammates to observe their scuffle, but Greninja shot his trainer a look of inquiry.

"I'm off to go find Vibrava, Greninja. Just don't get into trouble, alright?" Tristan commanded a second time. Greninja chuckled beneath his tongue scarf.

"I was wondering when you would notice. Oh, by the way, she's sitting over there by the tree," the water type informed him. The brown haired teen spun on his heel and stared at a patch of trees on the opposite side of the path. Just as his first Pokémon had said, the dragonfly he was searching for was laying down at the base of one of the trees.

"Thanks, Greninja," said the teen gratefully. With a sigh of relief, the Kalosian approached his most recent addition to the team.

As he neared Vibrava, the dragonfly's eyes darted quickly from the soil to his face before returning back to the ground. The winged creature shifted uncomfortably as the fifteen-year-old approached her. Picking up on this, Tristan sat down a few feet away to give the ground type some space.

"Hey, Vibrava," he greeted. The desert native blushed and averted her gaze.

"So, uh, why are you sitting over here? I promise you we don't bite," he remarked teasingly. Vibrava shrugged, her gaze still trained on the ground.

"Don't feel like it…" she muttered, inching away from Tristan slightly. The teen sighed and scooted closer to the dragonfly.

"Hey, you can talk to me, you know. Don't be afraid to say what's on your mind." Vibrava's eyes widened slightly at those words, though her gaze was turned towards the ground, so her trainer didn't notice. The dragonfly glanced over her shoulder and sighed, her blush still somewhat apparent.

"It's just… I don't know, you guys seem a bit intimidating," she responded, her voice growing fainter as she finished her sentence. Tristan glanced at the desert creature incredulously.

"Intimidating? What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I-I'm just a bit shy. I was that way in my old colony, too. It doesn't help that the ones who are my teammates are so powerful, too; they scare me," the Vibrava admitted. Tristan smiled as he and Vibrava glanced at Greninja and Manectric, who were breaking up the fight that Diggersby and Gogoat had landed in.

"Well, you have nothing to worry about, Vibrava. Sure, these guys might look scary, but they're all nice guys. Greninja, Manectric and Diggersby are all nice guys, same with Gogoat. He's just really, uh…"

"Arrogant?" the creature said, finishing Tristan's sentence. He laughed genuinely, eliciting a smile from Vibrava.

"Sure, we'll go with that. In all seriousness, though, they're all nice guys. Are they strong? Sure, but you're part of our little family just like they are. Everyone will be there for everyone no matter how strong, which is what I like about being a trainer. You can be comfortable around these guys without a doubt. And hey, if you ever need anything, you can always talk to me, okay?" Vibrava's gaze returned to the ground, but she nodded.

"Alright. Thank you, Tristan." The brown haired teen smiled and stood up, gesturing for Vibrava to follow him. The dragon type looked up at him, puzzled.

"We're heading back to town soon, so you might as well join me now. Plus, you can start meeting these guys now. I promise you they don't bite," he reiterated encouragingly. Vibrava shrugged, but followed the teen regardless. As Tristan and the dragonfly crossed the path, the four remaining Pokémon all turned their heads and greeted them. Tristan waved.

"Okay guys, we're heading back to Dendemille for now! Let's get going!" Greninja and Diggersby nodded, though Gogoat frowned and began to complain about their lack of training. Manectric shook his head and began to explain to the goat why they couldn't always train. Their conversation filled the air as the group of six began strolling down the path back to Dendemille.

Seeing this caused Vibrava to smile to herself.

"_They are an interesting bunch, that's for sure," _she noted. It was at that moment that Diggersby plodded over to the dragon type, who was away from the group by a few yards.

"Yo, what's up?" the rabbit greeted. Vibrava blushed in embarrassment about being confronted and cast her gaze to the ground.

"H-hey," she mumbled. Tristan, who was trailing behind the group, chuckled at the interaction, though he was glad that at least one of his Pokémon was willing to strike up a conversation. The teen had little time to admire the moment, however, when he heard his Pokédex beep. After gathering the electronic device into his hands, the brown haired Kalosian lifted it to his ear.

"Hello? Oh! Hey, Looker, what's up? Mhm… Deivis is going to Terminus Cave? That's just fantastic…" he grumbled sarcastically, "Yeah, I'll look out for them. Anything else I need to know?" Tristan nearly dropped the Pokédex and crashed to his knees when he heard the next sentence, but the teen managed to maintain his balance.

"No way, you're joking, right? Are you freaking kidding me? Looker, this is what we have to deal with? I didn't know Deivis was this insane!" the teen exhaled slowly as he tried to wrap his head around the detective's words, "…Right, I'll be on my guard. I won't fail, Looker. Bye." Tristan shuddered as he pocketed his Pokédex, dreading the thoughts that now plagued his mind.

"_Oh this is bad. Very, very bad."_

**X – X – X – X**

**What?! I don't even know anymore! XD So, this chapter was filler-ish, but important in my opinion. We got to see Manectric and Greninja duke it out, and we learned a bit more about Vibrava! Also, Tristan is now aware of what Looker thinks is Deivis' plan. It's still not good, not good at all.**

**1-Thoughts on Vibrava now that you have a slightly better idea of what she's like? (Shy and introverted).**

**2-Anistar Arc hype? After 43, the Anistar Arc begins!**

**Well, I hope you all enjoyed! To wrap this up, here's an update on Tristan's team:**

Gogoat – Level 39 – Seed Bomb, Grass Knot, Bulk Up, Earthquake

Diggersby – Level 38 – Quick Attack, Return, Earthquake, Double Kick

Vibrava – Level 38 – Earthquake, Rock Slide, Feint Attack, Bug Buzz

Greninja – Level 41 – Lick, Shadow Sneak, Water Pulse, Smack Down  
Manectric – Level 41 – Discharge, Flamethrower, Quick Attack, Thunder Fang, Thunder Wave

**There you go! Thanks for reading!**


	43. Chapter 43 - Icebound Battleground

**Welcome, welcome, one and all! Here is Chapter 43! But first, let me give you a rundown of 42. In Chapter 42, Greninja and Manectric battled each other for the fun of it and basically tied. Then, Tristan talked with the newest team member, Vibrava, and we learned a bit about her.**

**So, what happens this chapter? Go find out after these review responses!**

** davidtheman23 – You think I deserve more reviews? Thank you! I appreciate it. As for arcs… I honestly don't like putting up arc previews. My story has been fairly enigmatic so far, and I'd love to keep it that way (and keep you, the readers, guessing)! Thank you for the suggestion though, and thanks for the review!**

** El Torro – Gogoat does need to get good. XD He may. He may not. Anyway, that chapter was kinda filler-ish, but I see your point. But hey, it was the perfect time to do so. :P Now you can look forward to the Deivis fight that might never happen (waitwut) and the Anistar Arc! Thanks for the review!**

**Okay, let's get going! Enjoy! (FYI, this chapter is pretty darn short, but pretty darn crucial! Now enjoy!)**

**Chapter 43 – Icebound Battleground**

It was bright and early once again when Tristan stepped into the short terminal that separated Dendemille Town from Route 17. With a yawn, the brown haired teen strode through the small building with a sense of increasing eagerness. After passing through Route 17, he would be in Anistar City, the site of his seventh badge.

But as he neared the doorway that led to the next route, the Kalosian couldn't help but notice multiple signs nailed to a post. Upon inching closer, Tristan was able to read them.

The first read "Warning: Route 17 is always blanketed by a thick layer of snow due to vicious snowstorms. Be very cautious when proceeding!" Tristan glanced through the sliding glass door that led to the route in question. Just as the sign said, it was snowing heavily. The teen stared off into the gloomy gray and white abyss that was the outdoors, spectating the scene as white particles were whipped about by the wind. Moments later the Kalosian regained his focus and shook his head vigorously; Tristan glanced back down at a second sign.

The second sign was in bold, red letters, piquing the teen's interest. It read: "Warning to all travellers: A mysterious and powerful Pokémon has been attacking passerby on Route 17! Proceed with caution!" Tristan grinned from ear to ear when he finished reading the sign; after reading it he felt no need to read any of the others.

"A powerful Pokémon, huh?" he mused, "I'll catch it if I find! This should be interesting…" Without another moment of hesitation, the trainer lurched towards the glass door, which slid open automatically. Then, hugging his own body for extra warmth, the teen took his first step onto Route 17, eager to see what challenges were up ahead.

**X – X – X – X**

Tristan's entire body shuddered as the tempestuous winds of Route 17 chilled him to the bone. His teeth chattered incessantly and the thick coat of snow blanketing the floor crunched beneath the weight of his every step. The brown haired trainer continued to stagger slowly along the path, using the glaring, obnoxious, flashing red lights to continue his treacherous trek.

In the distance, despite the massive wall of snow flurries that invaded his field of view, the fifteen-year-old was able to faintly discern a vivid yellow light that cast a glow onto a patch of snow. As he inched closer, Tristan could barely define the shape of the terminal that led from Route 17 to Anistar City. The teen grinned cheerfully upon seeing his refuge, his safe haven. His journey along the harsh route was nearly over.

However, out of the corner of his eyes, the Kalosian saw a dark blur zoom by in an instant. Before he could fully process the new presence, the teen felt a pair of hands slam into his back with surprising force. The fifteen-year-old staggered forward and lost his balance due to shock, landing face first in the snow. The trainer raced to his feet in a panic as his eyes darted frantically back and forth to spot his attacker. Tristan witnessed the figure sprint by a second time and immediately dove away, simultaneously fishing for a Poké Ball at random.

The brown haired teen hurled the spherical device into the air in one swift motion, and a blinding flash of light soon greeted him. Through the sound of the howling wind, Tristan could scarcely hear the voice of Diggersby. Before he could utter anything else, however, the robust rabbit was slammed to the ground.

Growling, Diggersby leapt up and raised his ears as if he was a boxer. However, the normal type soon arrived at an impasse on account of the blinding snow. Despite his disadvantage, the hare kept his guard up and scanned his snowy surroundings with thinly veiled worry. Mere moments passed before a black-as-midnight crescent tore through the frigid air and crushed the unprepared creature. Diggersby grunted as he was hurled through the air, but managed to break his fall by utilizing his ears.

However, his speedy foe gave him little time to rest and closed the gap between the two combatants with an appendage glowing with icy energy. Diggersby wheezed as the blow sank into his gut, but the ground type refused to back down from the powerful move. Fighting through the pain, Diggersby's ears wrapped around his assailant's body and hurled them backwards.

The elusive creature was bashed against the ground and hissed in pain before slinking back into the snow, out of sight. Diggersby growled in frustration and awaited his opponent's approach; Tristan sighed, recognizing that he was of little help, and stood there with dreadful eagerness. Then, as if sensing the teen's anticipation, two massive crescents of ebony energy soared through the air, battering Diggersby once again. The normal type cried out in pain from the assault and was sent rolling through the snow, stopping in front of his trainer. Tristan glanced down in shock as shivers ran down his spine – and not just from the freezing temperatures.

"Diggersby, return. Okay, this has to be what the sign was talking about! Let's see, I think this should be Greninja's Poké Ball…" After swapping the spherical objects, Tristan cast what he hoped to be Greninja's Poké Ball into the air. Fortunately, the shiny starter appeared and dropped to the floor, glancing silently back at his trainer, who pointed towards the snowy abyss.

"Attacker? I'll see what I can do," the frog muttered. Tristan smirked and nodded.

"I figured your ninja capabilities would be wonderful in this situation. Go get 'em, Greninja." The frog nodded one last time and flashed his trainer a thumbs up before rushing head first into the torrent of snow. The Kalosian watched in awe as a black crescent of energy whizzed right by his head, and then a second one. However, the teen managed to suspend his fear and focus on what little he could witness of the battle.

What he could see as he peered through the snow, though, was that the battle was extremely flashy. Streams of water surged through the air in rapid succession, sometimes forced to dissipate by the ever-familiar blades of shadowy energy. One of the water attacks, clearly Greninja's, finally seemed to find a target, throwing its victim viciously into the steep mountainside that resided on the left side of the path. However, the wild creature refused to give in and hurled a flurry of slashes towards the frog, though Greninja was able to dodge them all.

Suddenly, a faint glow could be seen through the snowstorm. A fist crackling with icy energy sank into the body of the frog, causing him to drop to one knee for a split second, though the recipient soon shook it off. Greninja grunted and hopped over his foe as his tongue grappled onto the creature's neck. With a mighty tug, Greninja reeled his opponent in as if they were a fish and slammed them over the head with another Water Pulse.

With a loud shriek, the assailant plummeted to the snow, kicking up volumes of it upon impact. Greninja silently landed and strolled over to the fallen creature with great caution. The water type deemed that his opponent was weary from its inability to get up quickly. His conclusion was quickly dismissed, however, when the elusive creature leapt forward and kicked the frog in the jaw with a glowing foot.

Greninja stumbled backwards from the devious attack with his guard temporarily shut down by whatever it was that was fighting him. The creature then rushed forward and with a toothy grin clobbered the frog with another icy fist. Greninja wheezed as he felt the air leave his lungs, and he crashed to one knee. His powerful foe chuckled and delivered another vicious kick to the ninja's head, sending him sprawling on his back.

The shiny Pokémon hurried to his feet in a total daze just as a shard of ice flew his way, which he narrowly evaded by ducking. As he rose, however, his eyes widened upon seeing a black crescent merely a foot before him. The attack cut through the air easily and exploded on contact, tossing the unprepared fighter into the snow once more. His opponent leapt at him in an instant, clearly accustomed to a no-mercy kind of fight.

As the vicious creature dropped down from the sky, Greninja spat a large stone from his gaping mouth, which collided with the airborne attacker's figure. With another hiss, they dropped to the ground but refused to give in. They lunged towards the amphibian with another helicopter kick ready. Greninja responded with a dual Water Pulse just as quickly.

The two fighters met with immense speed in the middle of the path and engaged in combat immediately. Greninja's left arm shot forward, attempting to jab his foe with Water Pulse, but the creature shifted their midair momentum and kicked the sphere of energy out of his hand. Then, utilizing its surprising agility, the foe delivered another kick to Greninja's skull, still spinning in midair. Greninja shook his head as he leapt backwards from the strike, struggling to understand why the same attack was continuously hitting him.

The assailant leapt forward, forever persistent.

This time, however, the water type was ready and his right arm sprang forward. The remaining Water Pulse in his palm connected with his foe's body, though not without retribution. Simultaneously, the other creature's icy fist dug into Greninja's torso. Both Pokémon took the brunt of one another's attacks and were rocketed backwards at high speeds into the side of the mountain, forming cracks upon impact.

Gulping in concern upon hearing the collision, Tristan trudged hurriedly over to one of the snow piles. The teen sighed in relief when he was reunited with his first Pokémon friend, who was bruised badly and trapped beneath some of the snow. Tristan offered the frog a hand, which the water type accepted gratefully. Greninja stood up with an audible gasp of pain, drawing a frown from his teenage trainer.

"Think that thing is out of commission?" the Kalosian inquired. His first Pokémon shrugged.

"Whatever it was was about even with me, so it should be pretty weak right now," he responded. Tristan grinned excitedly.

"Awesome stuff, Greninja. You can chill for now." The ninja nodded before being zapped to the inside of his Poké Ball, grateful for the time given to him to recuperate from his injuries. Having done this, Tristan turned his attention to the second large pile of snow. The teen approached upon seeing that the creature that attacked him was still buried beneath the immense pile of flurries.

As he edged towards the injured body, a gust of bone-chilling wind reminded the teen where he was. Tristan hugged his own body for warmth before plucking a Poké Ball off of his belt. He held it up silently and pointed it at the downed creature, who was grumbling in pain and fighting for the ability to stand.

"Whatever you are, welcome to the team," Tristan said with a grin. In a brilliant flash of light, the agile creature was zapped into the fifteen-year-old's final Poké Ball without putting up a fight. The device wiggled slightly before becoming still in the boy's palm. Tristan pumped his fist in excitement.

"Nailed it!" he bellowed into the wind, "Now that that's done, I'm ready to get out of here…" After snapping the Poké Ball of his sixth catch to his belt, the teen swiveled on his heel and maneuvered his way towards the terminal that led to Anistar City; eagerness radiated from each step as he strode towards his new destination.

**X – X – X – X**

**Cut! That's the end, folks! So, there you go. Tristan ran into a thing, had Diggersby fight the thing, saw Diggersby get decimated, had Greninja fight the thing (basically a tie), and then caught the thing. But what even is it? Feel free to guess (I'm sure someone will get it).**

**So, I know it was short and took almost a month to post, but I hope you all found it enjoyable. The neext chapter will be building off of this one, so look forward to it. Thanks for reading!**

Tristan's Team:

Gogoat – Level 39 – Seed Bomb, Grass Knot, Bulk Up, Earthquake

Diggersby – Level 38 – Quick Attack, Return, Earthquake, Double Kick

Vibrava – Level 38 – Earthquake, Rock Slide, Feint Attack, Bug Buzz

Greninja – Level 41 – Lick, Shadow Sneak, Water Pulse, Smack Down  
Manectric – Level 41 – Discharge, Flamethrower, Quick Attack, Thunder Fang, Thunder Wave

? – Level ? - ?, ?, ?, ?


	44. Chapter 44 - Remembrance

**Hey there, everyone! It's been a while, I know. Here I am, though, with an update. It's a short one, but an update nonetheless. Make sure you stick around and read the author's note at the end! Let's begin, shall we? (Oh, and if you're going to question my writing, that's understandable. I wrote this in less than two hours late at night lol. I haven't written in a while).**

**All Out - Chapter 44: Remembrance**

"Those were good times..." mumbled a man in his late twenties. He was speaking, of course, of the tattered, leather-bound journal that sat in his lap. The seemingly ancient book was a gift from his late father, meaning it had already been filled with the memories of its previous owner. Upon receiving it, the man in his late twenties spent days poring over the details of the book - yes, he struggled to read his father's chicken scratch, but that was beside the point - and eventually decided to fill the rest of the journal with information of his own past journeys. After running a hand through his short, brown hair, the man sighed contentedly and unceremoniously dropped the journal onto the small table next to his chair. The twenty-eight year old placed both hands on the arms of the chair and prepared to stand up when one of the Poke Balls on his belt flew open, bathing the dim room in bright light. An amphibian with skin akin to the night sky materialized in front of the man, nearly causing the human to fall back into his chair.

"Greninja, I thought we agreed to stop doing that," muttered the man. The frog smirked beneath his tongue scarf.

"Maybe we did, maybe we didn't," he responded. The water and dark type's intelligible speech didn't phase his trainer one bit; the flashing box around the frog's neck, known by many as a translator, was a helpful tool that translated a Pokemon's speech into something that humans could understand. Greninja's trainer, though captivated momentarily by the rhythmic flashing of the translator, opened his mouth to speak.

"You were reviewing your journal again, I see. You've been doing that a lot lately, Tristan," the frog said, unintentionally cutting off his trainer in the process. The twenty-eight year old trainer ignored the accident and smiled at his first Pokemon's comment.

"Yeah. I've just been reviewing some of my old notes. It's fun to reminisce, you know? We don't have as much freedom as we used to." Greninja rolled his eyes at the comment as his trainer brushed past him and into the bathroom down the hall. The veteran trainer began to gaze at himself in the mirror intensely, though, contrary to Greninja's first instinct, the man was staring at the tie around his neck. Tristan began to tug at the silk around his neck to adjust it, again eliciting an eye roll from his starter. The dark type decided to ignore the action however to instead address his trainer's remark.

"You say that as if being a member of Hoenn's Elite Four doesn't grant you any freedom whatsoever," Greninja replied with a hint of amusement in his voice. Tristan, who had now ceased adjusting his tie and had instead moved on to smoothing his suit jacket and dress pants, grinned at the remark.

"You know what I meant. We have more obligations than we used to have, not that I don't mind. Being part of the Elite Four is fun, if you ask me. I just like to spend some time thinking about stuff in the past, too. We have all sorts of memories; there are the good, the bad, and the ugly."

"You mean like the time Manectric and Gogoat got into the fight and Gogoat got stomped? Or the time we had our final showdown with Deivis? Or when you and Blade met up and he recommended you become part of the Elite Four?"

"Right, that kind of stuff. Oh, and don't forget the time Monica beat Dash and I in that one tournament in Anistar City."

"I'm still salty about that," Greninja joked. Tristan laughed at that as he finally stopped his fidgeting and exited the bathroom, taking care to turn the light off. The duo the walked down the hall once more and back into the room where their conversation began. The room, dimly lit by the one window in the left wall, housed a chair, a small table, and two large bookshelves. The area was spacious enough to house much more, but the twenty-eight year old never saw the need to use the room for much else.

Tristan strolled casually across the room and over to the table by his reclining chair. He extended his arm and snatched a blue bag from the wooden surface before rummaging through his pockets. The Elite Four member finally fished out his Pokedex and used the device to check the time.

"Nine-forty-five?!" he shouted, "I needed to leave thirty minutes ago!"

"What for?" Greninja inquired.

"Dash and Monica's wedding is today, and it's a forty-five minute drive... Uh, how fast can Hydreigon fly?" Greninja laughed at the question and the idea behind it.

"Fast enough. Just try not to drop your wedding gift, Tristan," the frog answered while indicating the blue bag in his trainer's grasp. The brown haired man chuckled.

"Fair enough. Well, I need to get moving. See you again at the wedding." The veteran trainer detached a Poke Ball from his belt and tapped his started on the head. The spherical device inhaled the Pokemon instantly and snapped shut, allowing Tristan to place the ball back onto his belt. Tristan then raced over to the window and threw it open. Greninja's Poke Ball was immediately swapped out for a different one, one that was tossed into the open air outside of the office. A Hydreigon emerged from the Poke Ball with a mighty roar and a curious look. Tristan wordlessly dove out the window and on to the dragon's back, closed the window, and rubbed the dark type's head.

"Sorry about that, Hydreigon."

"No big deal!" she responded cheerily, "I take it you're late again?" Tristan sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Just a bit, yeah. Try to fly as fast as you can within reason, okay?"

"No problem!" With that, the black and blue beast sped off through the air, the force of her movement stripping a nearby tree of its leaves.

**XXX**

Dash and Monica were very confused when Tristan showed up at nine-forty-five without a tie and suit jacket.

Well, they were until they saw the very apologetic Hydreigon next to him. Dash couldn't help but laugh at the scene.

"Lost track of time?" the tall man joked with a poorly suppressed grin. A faint blush crept across Tristan's face. At least he still had the gift!

"Y-Yeah. Something like that..." Dash once again began to chuckle at the comment, and the blond woman next to him joined in as well. The two laughed continuously for the next minute, leaving Tristan to stand their awkwardly and tap his foot on the ground. Their laughter eventually subsided and, when it did, the blond next to Dash stepped forward and enveloped the Elite Four member in a hug.

"Really though, thanks for coming, Tristan," Monica said with a genuine smile.

"You know I wouldn't miss your wedding," he shot back with a smile just as wide. Monica finally relinquished her grip and took a step back towards her soon-to-be husband, who cleared his throat.

"That was a touching moment and all, trust me, but we need to go get you a tie at the very least, dude," Dash joked. Tristan rolled his eyes at the friendly jab.

"Yeah, I guess we do."

"Ooh, ties? I can go pick one out for you!" Monica interjected.

"That's okay, really! Tristan and I can-" Dash's sentence was cut short when the blond ran off excitedly, presumably to go find Tristan a tie.

"Here's my apology in advance," Dash mumbled. The comment earned a confused glance from Tristan.

"It can't be that bad, can it?"

The twenty-eight-year-old discovered only a few minutes later that it definitely was. Dash apparently had fifty ties or more, and Monica was convinced that he needed to try on every. Single. One. There was one saving grace about the whole ordeal, though.

_'At the very least'_, the teen mused inwardly, '_this'll be an interesting thing to add to my journal.'_

He hoped there would be multiple events worth adding - both the good and the bad - for years to come. And, as Monica insisted he try on the black tie with purple and yellow stripes, the odds of that happening were looking very, _very_ high.

**XXX**

**That's a wrap! Weird, I know. I can see it now. "Hey, why the huge time skip? What the heck, man?" I know, I know, it's weird. I hope you all are ready for a very brief story. I was in the middle of working on Chapter 44 a few months ago when my computer screen suddenly stopped functioning properly. I got a new computer, which, of course, didn't have any of my work on it. At that point, since I had lost character info and plot stuff, I was less motivated to work on the story. I had a good bit of it planned out, of course, so I could still write some, but I really only remembered big plot points (not enough to effectively write a story). At the same time, I became busier, so writing fell to the wayside. However, early today, I decided to reread the Hoenn story El Torro is currently working on (you should all read that if you're not already, by the way!). It motivated me a bit to start writing again. I decided to write one final chapter for this story. As you can see, a huge time skip was involved; all this did was show you a tiny bit of where our protagonist ended up. Anyway, about being motivated, I've decided to try to start planning/working on a new story (at this point, I've forgotten too much about All Out, so the planning might be about the same lol). Again, this is just an attempt, so don't get your hopes up. I hope you all are okay with my decision, and I'm sorry if you were looking forward to where this story was going. If you are curious about what would've happened in the rest of All Out, you can PM me with a list of questions. I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability. :P**

**Well, that's all I've got! Thanks for the support you all gave me back when I did write. I'll probably attempt another story though, so that may be fun. See you all later, whether it be through a story or mine or someone else's!**


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